Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Her Campus TCNJ.
Dear Donald Trump,
I need you to know that I bawled my eyes out when you won, not because I was elated, but because I lost all hope in our nation. I cried because I was confident in Hillary Clinton winning the election and I was ready for a female president to lead our country.
Our country is divided, afraid, angry and appalled.
I need you to know that Muslims are not terrorists but your rhetoric has inserted fear within others to view them as such. I need you to know that as a Muslim-American woman my religion teaches me to preach kindness and love. I need you to know that your rhetoric has caused me to watch out for my Muslim brothers and sisters. I need you to know that telling my sister to be careful and to watch her back because she wears the headscarf is not something I want to keep reminding her. I need you to know that we are good people and until you stop generalizing this fear will continue.
I want you to respect women because they are human beings. You have degraded them throughout your campaign and have excused your derogatory language as “locker room talk.” Your comments are paving the way for more rape cases, more sexual assault and more disrespect towards women. I need you to know that we are people who should not be judged based on how much we weigh or how we look, but by our skills and what we can bring to the table.
I expect you to give LGBTQ individuals the rights they deserve, because they too are human. Even if you do not agree with their views, as a future president, I expect you to look past your bias mindset and accept them as who they are.
This country was built by immigrants and you are not allowed to deport people because they are not American citizens. I refuse to stand by my immigrant friends who pay taxes and are just as American as me, and not speak out for them. They are afraid for their lives because they believe that they have no place in this country. They are not rapists, they are not terrorists, they are not criminals – they are human.
I need you to know that in two months you will unfortunately be taking over the White House, but you have a lot to work on before then. I want you to apologize for the fear you have instilled within people, for the anger that has been built up and for the rhetoric you have continued to use. I expect you, as our future president, to be understanding and accepting of all people – not just one group of people.
Sincerely,
A scared, first generation, Muslim-American female citizen.