I know you're upset but just listen. Don't listen to reply listen to understand. I will be brief.

November 8th, 2016 was a very stressful and emotional day for the entire nation. We all felt the pressure of the future events and we all felt the stomach curling sensation of not knowing what would happen. Many were happy with the results, and many were not. This is a different kind of heartbreak. This is not a piece about foreign policy or the economy. This is a piece about people. We are all more alike than we are different yet we are divided in so many ways. While I wish I could be okay with the results, I can't accept it. Yes, I understand that the final result is final, but I don't have to support it. I live in New York City, probably one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. We are truly a melting pot. I attend a very small college on the Upper East Side. Marymount Manhattan College is pretty well known for having a large population of gay students and a very large population of female students. I love my college. Everyone here is creative, intelligent, and absolutely beautiful. they love freely, think freely, and have absolutely no problem being 100% themselves. It's safe to say that the results were upsetting. I knew school would be tough the following day after the election, but I never expected what I walked into the next day. No one came to classes, the halls were half empty, students cried in the hallways and consoled each other. Professors sent out emails with counseling center information and hotline numbers. Our small college was devastated. New York City was quieter than it had been it years. People took the day after to mourn what they would eventually lose. People lost hope in our country and moving forward seemed farther away than ever. it's very difficult to watch people you care about fear for their future.

While the election results were not what we hoped for, we need to take advantage of the next four years. We need to be kind to one another. We need to start building each other up and fighting for what we believe in. We need to start remembering how to treat each other as people and not as opponents. You should never let fear keep you from living your life. Creating positive change in this nation is how we will move forward, stronger together.