I have been receiving a lot of hurtful comments about my previous article, “100 Things I’d Rather do than Vote for Donald Trump,” and I would just like to say a few things about it and why I chose to write that article.

First and foremost, I apologize to everyone who I may have offended with some of the things mentioned in the article. It was never my intention to offend you, and I admit, I may have taken some things a little too far, and for that, I am truly sorry. The article was only meant to express how I do not agree with Trump on some of his decisions, and it was meant to be entirely comical. That being said, I have a few things to say to those who think that bashing someone over his or her political views is totally cool.

There is a fine line between expressing an opinion and just being plain nasty to someone one. I’m all for someone voicing his or her opinion, but when it becomes derogatory, then it’s a problem. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been receiving a lot of nasty posts claiming that I am an “idiot with no intelligence” because I do not support Trump, and quite frankly, this is the most ignorant statement that I have ever been told. Not only is it an ignorant statement, but it is also a hurtful one. I believe that there is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion and beliefs, however, to do so with the intention of being hateful is never the answer. As Americans, we are all entitled to our own beliefs on who should be the next president. Whether you are a Clinton supporter or a Trump supporter, no one should make you feel like you are less of a person because of the choice you made. We are all aiming to “Make America Great Again” and if one president seems like a better choice, then so be it, choose them, but we should choose them based on the qualifications that they have, not based on another person’s opinion.

As I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed, I see so much negativity and opposition towards Democrats and Republicans. Everyone is so wrapped up in the notion that their political party is superior to another party that they forget the difference between criticism and degradation. If putting someone down over something as trivial as their political views, then it’s time to evaluate yourself.

You may hate me for what I’m saying, and that is perfectly fine, but I cannot apologize for speaking up for what I believe is right. Regardless of whoever your choice is, I respect everyone’s decision, and I’d never attack them for their personal political beliefs and neither should you. It is the time to be mindful of what we post because words are powerful tools that have the power to tear someone down or build them up. Regardless of which party you support, we should remove the hate and show a little more love if we truly want to “make America great.”