Dear Americans,

I know that over half of you are scared of what a Trump presidency could hold. I also know that the remainder of you are excited about what a Trump presidency could hold. Regardless of your stance on Trump, what America really needs right now is hope. And in my neutral opinion, I don't think that the hope America needs is going to come from a president, our hope is going to come from us. We as citizens of the United States of American need to be just that--united. We need to support each other and show compassion towards our neighbors.

To be honest, I never really liked Trump. Even before he was a presidential candidate, I thought he was rude and egotistical. But I had also never really liked Hillary either. But they both had their redeeming qualities and well as some condemning ones. I'm not going to talk about that though, because we have had enough hatred going around this last week then we should.

Since Wednesday morning, my news feed has shown nothing but politics and hatred. I see riots and protests being held all over the country. People are being physically harmed over who they voted for, roads are being shut down in protests, and people are genuinely afraid for the future of this country.

I am one of those people. But not because of who the president is.

I am afraid for this country because of the violence and hatred that is being shared. I am afraid for this country because if we continue down this road of racism and hatred, this country will no longer be the United States of America. If we continue hating one another based on who we voted for, we will become the Divided States of America. I'm seen in the news that several states are wanting to secede from the U.S. over this election. Is this really what we want for our America? I can assure you that the United States was formed so that we could come together and be a united nation, where those who are tired and weary could come seek refuge. Where people from all over could come for a second chance at a good life. What happened to those ideals? Somewhere along the line, we became cruel and filled with hatred for people who looked or thought differently. It honestly saddens my heart a great deal to see my friends from other countries who are so afraid that they're going to be deported. Or hearing about young school children mocking and shouting terrible things at their classmates who are Muslims. Or seeing the riots, where people are burning the American flag and lashing out at people who voted differently from them. It makes me scared to see the people of America, who are supposed to support and protect their fellow Americans regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, act this way towards others.

We are all human beings.

At the end of the day--hell, at the end of this life-- it's not going to matter what the color of your skin was, or what you identified as, or how much money you had in your bank account. What's going to matter is how you treated people. What's going to matter is that you take the time to understand the other person's story in this time of uncertainty and fear. I don't just mean asking someone why they voted for Hillary or Trump. We are more than just our political view, so much more. We are our past, present, and future. We are our hopes and dreams. Everyone has a story to tell, and taking the time to listen to that story could ultimately change your life, as well as theirs.

This week, I was filling up my tires with air. As I was finishing up, these two homeless women came up to me and started talking to me. I asked to hear their stories and how they got to where they were today. It astounded me when I heard how much they had to work just to get food for the day. They told me they lived in a tent that they carried around with them, and that now they were just trying to find a cheap place to eat with the $4 that they had. I knew I only had $12 left to last me the rest of the week, but I went into the gas station and got as much food as I could with the last of the money I had. I knew that I was blessed enough to live on campus and not have rent to pay, as well as a meal plan. So I knew that just from those two things, that I had so much more than those two women did. Instead of pointing them to the nearest McDonalds or Taco Bell, I used the little money I had left so that they could have a good meal. I didn't even blink at the thought of helping people, and I have my parents to thank for that. They taught me to ALWAYS be kind to people regardless of how they look or think.

I think America needs to work on showing more compassion. We need to show compassion so that our children can have a better future. These children are still so impressionable. They see what we do and they think that's what they should be doing. They see the riots, and the protests, and the hatred, and the racism, and they think that's normal. If they grow up in a hateful household, they will grow up learning to be hateful of people who look or act different.

America has had this wonderful image of being a country that has progressed so much from 100 years ago. We really have progressed. One-hundred years ago the thought of a female voting, let alone running for president, would have been an absurd thought. Twenty years ago, the LGBTQ community had no rights. We have come a long way America, and it would be a damn shame if all that progress went out the window because of a lack of compassion. People are scared, and maybe instead of telling them to grow up or calling them entitled crybabies, maybe you should stop for a second and ask them why they're so afraid. People voted for Trump, so instead of calling them racist, egotistical, bigots, maybe try having a conversation with them instead of being physically or verbally violent with them.

To hope that Donald Trump fails as a president is like saying that you hope the pilot of your plane crashes. We are a united country--for now. If we want to remain united, we have to start acting like it by showing love and compassion for the people around us, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, or political stance.

America has seen a lot of hatred and violence recently. I say that we need to try and work together and start showing some compassion and kindness in a world that has become a darker place since Tuesday evening.

With hopes for a better future,

A concerned American.