As a campus we need to unite. I will say this time and time again and I will stand by this until the day I die. We can’t let hate win. If we can come together for those times where big attacks shook the world, we can come together now. Don’t let our campus become divided over something that we can overcome.

In light of all of these attacks that I’ve been hearing about I have this to say: if you see something say something. I beg of you, whoever you are, please say something. Berate them. Call them out. Stand by those people who are being attacked. Don’t let them think they can get away with it. Don’t let them think that what they are doing is okay. Now more than ever we need to stay united as a country and as a people. Now is the time to stand up to hate and bigotry. Now is the time to let those who spew hate know that who they are trying to silence will not be silenced. Don’t just stand by passively and watch it happen. Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves in fear of being hurt. Remember the faces of those harassing people.

Even if you feel like you can’t stand up and outright say something to the people who are harassing and attacking someone you can still do something. You can get that person out of that situation simply by walking up to them and asking if they would be okay with you walking with them to wherever they’re going. You can make sure the person being put down isn’t alone by simply just standing with them. Not speaking up is okay if you’re afraid to or feel like you can’t as long as you don’t just keep your head down and walk by. Do something. Do anything. Get them out of the situation they are in and get them someplace safe. Melissa, a communications major had this to say, “Regarding the students being harassed, this is a time that we need to use our education and stick together. I think Trump can have a lot to offer during his time as president but it’s a bad omen all over that people are acting in ignorance. I think ignorance is a manifestation of fear at this point students on the campus need to stick together.” Sticking together and staying together is important during this time.

This was one of my biggest fears watching Trump getting elected into office. I knew that his hateful words and ideals would cause trouble for those he spoke against. Now, we see just how bad it can be. Thankfully, as far as I have heard, no one has actually be injured during any of these attacks however that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened in other places. That doesn’t mean that it can’t happen here. It truly sickens me that people are like this.

Kirk, a junior accounting major has this to say about what is happening, “Trump won the election but in the end of the day we all lost. I don’t think our country has been this divided in a while. It’s left a divide of hatred in our country that will take years to repair.” His words ring true and hard. It’s important to remember that no one deserves to feel the type of fear they are feeling on either side of this. No one deserves to go through what they are going through. No one deserves to be yelled at or spit on or told that their time is up. America is so divided right now and it shouldn’t be this way. It shouldn’t be a battle of who has it worse or whose fear is worse. Anyone on either side has every right to fear what they fear. It should be communities coming together trying to make everyone (their officers and public officials, their citizens and working class people) feel safe.

I wish this wasn’t a fight we had to fight but it is. I wish we could all unite together and become the country we so badly we want to be but it looks like we can’t do that without a fight. So fight we will. We’ll fight for peace and love, unity and hope, compassion and trust. We’ll fight until there is no more to fight about. Until we as a country stand proud and tall and united. But, until that time – we need to stand together as a campus. We, the student body, need to stand together as a campus. Don’t let hate dictate our campus. Hate from either side. That’s not we are about. Start in your community and you could make a huge difference. It’s about coming together now more than ever instead of standing divided.

I won’t be silent. I won’t stand idly by as members of our community are attacked. I won’t stand for it and neither should you.