This morning, I woke up with the heavy knowledge that today would be a somber day on campus. I woke knowing today would be filled with disappointment, anxiety, and scattered celebration about our political future in this nation. But I also woke up with a hopeful optimism, knowing that we had been given a new day to do with as we wished. We would get up, and continue living our lives as we had before last night’s tense election. As President Barack Obama had reassured, “no matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning.”
First, I would like to say that this article is not so much about politics. It is about social attitudes in the wake of this stunning and historically unprecedented election. I realize that we all have our political views. While half of our nation went through their days disillusioned with this election’s outcome, the other half felt accomplished in the win of their candidate. This is the reality of our current moment in history. We are a nation severely divided, pinned against one another following the conclusion of perhaps one of the most heated presidential races to date.
Like I said however, this piece is about our social perspectives. With the current tensions and fear resonating in this country, I believe the only solution is to stand together. As soon as those on both sides of the political chasm have processed the outcome of this election, we must come together to counter this culture of division. We must remember to stand by our values that have made America a more accepting and inclusive nation. We cannot forget that eight years ago, we elected our first African American president. That historical moment can never be erased from our identity as a nation. We have to remember that in June 2015, we gave gay and lesbians couples their long-awaited right to legally marry. This too, is something that we have deemed an intrinsic right, and we cannot reverse history.
I think many people were especially concerned this morning that the election of Donald Trump meant that we would face a culture of racism, misogyny, or discrimination in our futures. Now it is up to us to reject this possibility, and continue to stand by the values that we have established in the past. Just because we have a new president with unpopular and often discriminatory rhetoric, does not mean that we as a free-thinking nation must adopt his words. His future presence in the White House is not a reason to reverse the social progress we’ve so painstakingly made. I know for certain my friends and family will not suddenly become racists, misogynistics, or discriminate against the LGBT community. Because that’s not who they are as people. And he can’t change who they are. Those who supported women’s rights, racial equality, freedom of sexuality, and overall fair and accepting attitudes toward everyone will not suddenly change their tune because of a presidential election.
Donald Trump, whether you agree with his win or not, was elected based on a myriad of things, including his policies. For whatever reason, America chose not to elect Hilary Clinton to lead our country. All of our nation must mend the divide. We must come together to reason that no matter who is president, we cannot allow it to change our social attitudes. We must continue to support the rights and justices of all people, and lobby for equality for all. I believe that we are capable of perpetuating ideas of social justice, whoever the president is. Standing by your beliefs is one of the freedoms we have. It is our civic duty to continue to protect the rights of those who have gained visibility and justice over the years.