On Tuesday, November 8th, 2016, America did the unexpected. This country put a man in office who has never held political office before.

This is not going to be a 2,000 word article full of hate and contempt for Trump and his supporters. I'm sure there are going to be enough hateful essays and articles for the next century.

I will admit, I was not expecting this. I will admit that I reacted with shock, fear and anger, as many of us have. I was not expecting that the first election I was able to vote in would turn out how it did, but here we are, Friday afternoon, and Donald Trump is the president-elect.

I wanted things to be different. I wanted our country to progress in the ways that it has been; I wanted us to continue to move forward. I still believe this is possible, but I also believe that things may have been drastically halted now.

Right now, above all politics and policies, we must understand things as human beings. Things are going to change, people are going to be affected -- whether in a positive or negative way, I cannot speak for. But people will feel this decision for the rest of their lives.

We must acknowledge that, right now, people are afraid and people are hurting. Something important we must do is recognize their fears as valid. People have a right to be afraid right now; something this drastic cannot be expected to happen without some sort of reaction of fear. There are communities of people who are, at this very moment, feeling vulnerable and threatened. Despite what Trump does in the future, the things he has said previously are still heard. The violent accusations and the degrading comments are still ringing in people's ears, and will continue to be remembered throughout his entire presidency. So, we must acknowledge that these things that he has said did incite fear in the groups of people he targeted.

This culture of fear is what is causing the things we are seeing and hearing in the news and on social media. This feeling of hatred that his comments has inflamed is causing this culture of fear. People are afraid to go outside. People are being assaulted, verbally and physically, and it is happening everywhere. Muslim women are choosing not to wear their hijabs in public for fear of being attacked -- something that is already happening to women who continue to wear their hijabs outside. Latinx children are being spat on in schools, being told to "pack their bags" -- by fellow classmates, by other children. Women are even more afraid to go outside than they were before, being physically intimidated by men even on my own college campus. People in the LGBTQ community are afraid to express their love or who they identify as, and they're being forced back deeper into the closet.

I do not mean to voice these things to inspire more hatred -- I am simply stating the hatred that is already happening in this country and is being reported. Trump's comments during this election have inspired these outbursts of hatred; this is something you cannot deny, no matter which side you align yourself with.

In this culture of hatred, it is important to remember to love. We cannot fight hatred with hatred; we must see the hatred scarring this world and we must begin to heal with love. I am not asking members of these negatively targeted groups, being a member of a few myself, to set aside their concerns and their fears to hold hands with those that would harm them and sing "Kumbaya." I am asking that we understand the fear and the uncertainty, and recognize it as real. I am asking that we look towards the future, and that we find comfort in those who are standing with us in this time of panic. I ask that we hold each other up in this time, find communities and find places that will support and love you. Find the love in the world and hold onto it. There are still good things out there, search for those good things instead of drowning in the hatred. If we love one another and support each other in these trying times, we can make it. Remember that despite the fact that people have chosen to hate you, you must love yourself regardless. Love yourself despite the hatred of others. What they believe about you does not matter. You matter. This uncertainty is navigable through the uplifting spirits of your communities and those who love you. Let go of your hatred, but hold onto that passion. Do something with that fire that has been started in you. Stand up for what you know is right and what is just. Continue to fight for equality, continue to fight for this earth, continue to fight for what you hold dear. But do it in love.

"Forward. Always."

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