I finally shut off the TV at one in the morning on November 9th, after it seemed to become clear that Trump was going to take Pennsylvania – the state I voted in, which was projected to be blue for Hillary. I went to bed and I tried to convince myself it would be different in the morning.
Then it wasn’t.
In the morning, the fears of so many groups all over the United States became reality as Trump was announced our president elect. Fear was the strongest emotion that I felt throughout the day, from social media, from students on campus, and even just from myself. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wake up that morning and start sobbing at the news.
Trump winning the presidency is not what was expected from the majority of the country, and possibly was not expected from his own supporters. Watching news coverage on election night, it seemed almost obvious that several newscasters – both satirical and otherwise – were not expecting the results to end in his favor. And, if I’m being honest, I was never expecting it either.
In the months leading up to the election I was not quiet about my opinions. I live-tweeted all three presidential debates and was extremely vocal about how important it is to vote in every election. I went to a rally, I hung up a poster, and I proudly wore a Clinton/Kaine button before the election. I watched so many women in my life stand up and proudly declare “I’m With Her.” I proudly stood by Hillary Clinton, and still do, not just because she would be the first female president, but also because I truly sided with her on issues more than any other candidate. I still believe she would be the most qualified to take the presidential office.
Unfortunately, this excitement that I and so many others felt was cut short. Unfortunately, this excitement was replaced by fear, by anger, and by many tears. I know that Donald Trump will be our next president, it’s just hard to accept so suddenly. It’s hard to accept and to realize that our country chose to side with someone who has disgraced so many minority groups in the United States. He has made light of sexual assault, has helped bring white supremacy out of the shadows, and has allowed those from different cultures and ethnicities to be bullied just because they weren’t born here. His comments have made it okay to continue exclude our Muslim citizens and our LGBTQ+ community and to speak about them using hateful rhetoric. He has convinced the majority that we must turn back the clock to make America great again, even though it’s already great right now. I honestly thought that our citizens would make a better choice than this and I am deeply saddened that I was wrong.
However, none of this is as important now that we are in a post election world. While it is so easy to get caught up in this anger and sadness, to get buried in it while watching friends and family start to fear for what will happen to them and to this country, we cannot let ourselves get stuck. No matter how hard it feels, we must unite as one country. We must continue to spread love, kindness, and respect all over our communities and the world. We must come together as one and hope, with all of our hearts, that the next four years will be okay, and that Donald Trump will be a president who won’t only be remembered for the horrible things he has said. We must stand strong together and support one another, we must make sure we stay inclusive, and we must make sure that no one is ever pushed aside just because they are different. Above all, we must remember that we will always be stronger together.