This Tuesday, Americans voted for who they wanted to be their President for the next four years. Despite the efforts of some 11,000 people who voted for the deceased gorilla, Harambe, at the end of the night, Donald Trump was declared the next POTUS-to-be. Since then, a petition has begun in an attempt to persuade members of the Electoral College to place their votes in favor of Hillary Clinton, who actually won the popular vote, but the chances of that happening are unlikely.
Many people are outraged by the election's result and are choosing to demonstrate their grievances, which has quickly devolved from what began as peaceful marches to what is now an increasingly violent chaos.
As the protests become more and more intense, the rest of America, and the world, watches on in horror.
A video released on November 10th shows a man being viciously attacked by protesters in Chicago as they screamed "Don't vote Trump". The man, later identified as David Wilcox, age 49, is quoted asking "Whats happening to America?" in an interview with the Chicago tribune the next day.
Due to the circumstances of this election, backlash is to be expected. Many people are scared of the future that Trump will incite. Previous interviews reveal that Trump is considering severe changes to laws such as those concerning immigration, LGBTQ rights and abortion policies; changes that would, of course, affect millions of American lives. Protesters are also involved because they're enraged at the circumstances under which Trump won the election. Clinton won the popular vote of 60,839,922 votes to Trump's 60,265,858 votes; however, the tally of state Electoral College votes favored Trump.
While recognizing the immensity of turbulent feelings that so many of the American people are experiencing, the passion that is seen in these assemblies is beautiful, it is inspiring to see so many people care so strongly about the government of this nation; nevertheless, causing property damage or harming another human beings in the name of change is never right. Not everyone who voted for Trump did so out of hatred or bigotry, many of them are just as scared as those who voted for Clinton. Blue collar men and women, already losing jobs as companies relocate to other countries for cheaper manufacturing, saw Clinton's financial plan as one that would continue to shrink their ability to find a livelihood. Citizens who are scared by the seemingly constant deception and waffling displayed by Clinton, they don't want to be lied to by the leader of the nation. Loving parents who are hoping for a change that will lead to a country with less debt and more opportunities for their children.
While it can be hard to understand the opposing side in favor of such a man as Trump, it is important that Clinton supporters remember that there are several sides to every story and that no matter what, we are all Americans, and more importantly we are all human. We all share a common 99 percent of our genetic makeup, same blood, same bones, same heart. We are one body, and we must remain unified, even in this trying time of hardship, heartbreak and fear. We will change nothing by resorting to violence, we must trump hate with love. It is as FLOTUS Michelle Obama so brilliantly advised:
...when someone is cruel or acts like a bully you don’t stoop to their level. No, our moto is: when they go low, we go high.
