This has been a whirlwind of a week.
Tuesday we experienced a historical election- a man with absolutely no political experience has won a presidential election. What does this mean for our country?
For white, cis, straight, or otherwise majority people, it doesn't mean much. But for POC, for LGBT people, for marginalized folks like me, it's a game changer. Trump supporters have started terrorizing people of color in all forms- vandalism, slurs, and assault have littered the news. Hillary supporters all over the country have taken to the streets, protesting and saying "not my president". We are more divided as a country than we have been since the civil rights movement. People are terrified, people are livid, people are hopeless. They feel as if this election is a turning point in history- and it might be.
But what we must do now, as Americans, is fight. Fight for the freedoms given to us constitutionally. Fight for our brothers and sisters who are suffering. Fight for peace. Fight for hope.
I do not want to discredit minorities by stating that we are all one race, the human race- this is true and false. We are a race that has hatred for one another in our veins. We are a race that cannot stand differences. We are a race that is terrified of change.
How can we change things? How can we stand up and fight for this glorious country?
America is a country good and bad. We are a proud people, which can benefit and hurt those around us at the same time. America needs to realize that we, as a whole, are full of rich history, whether we like it or not. Yes, we have suffered through the ages- think of the Civil War. Think of Vietnam. But we have come out stronger each time, and I like to believe that we will overcome this time of struggle.
So please, dear friends. I ask of you one thing: forgive one another. At the end of the day, we are all going to die. We all have loved ones. We all have something to believe in. I say this not to discredit struggle, and as a privileged white woman I understand it can be hard to listen. But we need to remember that it's not over til it's over. And folks, this country is far from over.
