Donald Trump is now the official President-elect, but the consequences of this election feel far from over. The past week online has blessed us with Joe Biden memes, Kate McKinnon SNL sketches, and endless photo montages of the Obamas. But on the streets, the country has been suffering from violent outbreaks. Although the majority of these protests and rallies are against Trump and the election results, Trump supporters have been demonstrating equally frightening acts of violence.
On the campaign trail, Trump said many racist and sexist remarks, specifically targeting minorities. Now that he has been elected, his bigoted comments have become justification for people who hold the same discriminatory views. Around Oxford College’s campus in Covington, within 24 hours of the election, there have already been groups (a few of them armed) threatening to hunt down Muslims in the community. Being on a liberal arts campus with a racially and religiously diverse student body and supportive LGBTQ+ community, many students now fear for their lives with Trump in office and his radical supporters on the streets. The simplest of activities, like shopping runs to Walmart or getting food at restaurants, have become far more dangerous. While many students have joined the protests in Atlanta, others feel threatened even leaving campus.
Trump has no political record and is completely unpredictable as to what his policies and actions in office may be. Will he continue to give reason for people to belittle people of color, women, and other societal minorities? If so, how will that shape what the next 4 years of living in America look like? This violence is bigger than a small Georgia town; many white supremacist groups like the KKK have had or planned their own rallies in support for Trump’s victory. Trump recently spoke out to his radical supporters to stop the violent rallies, but violence continues to escalate and there seems to be no definite end.