Whichever way you voted on November 8th, I believe it is safe to say that many Americans were surprised by the results. Whether or not you supported Trump, few people believed he could actually pull it off. But here we are almost referring to him as “POTUS”.
As any election goes, there are those who are pleased and those who are less than satisfied with the end result. At this time I cannot definitively say I am upset nor pleased, but more that I am disappointed with the candidates all together. Growing up I had this idea of what it would be like to cast my vote in my first election and needless to say this was not it. But, neither I nor anyone else should waste time wallowing over “what could have been” because we ultimately had two choices and they’re not changing. Once the nominees were finalized, I came to the decision not to vote, something I had anticipated having the opportunity to do for eighteen years. In some way I felt as if voting for either candidate was a waste. However, as the election grew near I began to understand the importance, privilege, and significance of my vote. So as millions of Americans have done before me and continue to do every election I voted for the lesser of two evils.
Did I want Trump to win? No. Did I want Clinton to win? No. But, those were the choices we had and in the end it had to be one or the other. This was not the election I had pictured as a young girl. I did not think there would be a woman candidate or Trump for that matter would be on the ballot. Yet, this election did become something to be proud of because people started to use their voices. A democracy cannot be successful without the participation of its citizens. This election had millennials standing up and taking a stand, something that has been difficult to accomplish in previous years. We now have a generation of Americans ready to step up, ready to take a stand, ready to make America’s DEMOCRACY great again. Either way this election was not just about one person, it was about what kind of nation we want to be. Trump has his faults, as did Clinton, therefore we are now responsible for filling that void with our active participation in our democracy. It comes naturally to most to see the dark side of the situation rather than see room for growth and opportunity. That is our current situation. So I will give our nation time to celebrate or grieve, but sooner rather than later we need to accept the result and move towards aiding the elect in his presidency. The fears he fosters in many will only become realities if WE silence our voices. So I urge Americans to speak up and make this election not about the candidate, but about our potential for a promising future.