Since the election of Donald Trump, there have been several acts in retaliation to the results. Protests have begun. People have raised the tagline "Not my president." And several crimes have been committed in response to the differing opinions. For a group who preaches tolerance and peace, they are not being very peaceful or tolerant. While I am all for the freedom to express your opinions and distaste for anyone, this is taking it too far. The protests that are called peaceful have blocked traffic and caused cities to shut down. Why is this happening? Because Trump won the presidential election over Hillary. One protester even punched a police horse.
Why is this the only course of action that people can think of? Ever since the election, there have been nothing but emotion-fueled fits on both sides. They say that the smartest person is the one who remains silent, and I think that really shows here. No matter what the context, if you yell in someone's face to get your point across, not only will you fail in your task, but the person you are yelling at will actively ignore you. I am telling all of you that if you want your voice to be taken seriously, you need to remain calm. If you begin an argument with a sense of composure and treat the other person with respect, they will listen to you.
I know that people are scared because of what has been going on; the racist and sexist supporters of Donald Trump have made it clear that our country has a long way to go for social equality, but notice how President Obama has reacted to the election results. He didn't scream in defiance or shout at all the Trump supporters. He calmly accepted the election results and is now doing everything in his power to ensure that there is a smooth transition of power from him to the new president-elect. Say what you will about Obama over the past eight years, but I have always respected him for his level-headedness. I think he knows that remaining calm will always get you farther than yelling and screaming.
I am not trying to discount anyone's feelings about what this election means. I completely understand that there is newfound fear for any sort of minority now. But, I will tell anyone who thinks that being the loudest or bullying the other side will get them to win; a lot of the people who can make a change for you will not listen if you go that route. To be taken seriously by those people, all you have to do is follow the golden rule that we were all taught back in grade school: treat them how you want to be treated.
