I am not writing to shame you. I am not writing to yell at you or nag about your decision. Everyone has the right to vote for the candidate they believe will best serve the country. I may not agree with you, but I respect you and thank you for participating in our democracy. As Hillary Clinton remarked in her concession speech, “Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power, and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. “

I know that with the riots and protests and flag burning, it may seem like a lot of Clinton supporters don’t believe in a “peaceful” transfer of power, and I apologize on behalf of them. Though I am a major supporter of peaceful protests and grassroots, I don’t support violence in any form. People are who violently lashing out at Trump supporters are in the wrong. I cannot and will not defend them. I ask that you give the rest of us the benefit of the doubt, just as I am giving many of the same offer. I have already read reports of numerous Trump supporters carrying out unspeakable violent, racist, and homophobic acts. Despite that, I don’t think you, reading this, support those things. I believe you are just disgusted at these acts as I am. I do not believe you are a bad person for voting for Donald Trump.

I think one of the biggest problems in politics today (from both sides) is that we refuse to entertain ideas that don’t agree with ours. Any time someone disagrees with us, we either immediately shut them down as being wrong or we end the conversation with a polite “Let’s just agree to disagree!” Don’t get me wrong; you don’t have to just give into whatever somebody tells you, but I think it’s still important to discuss things and try to understand at vaguely where the other side is coming from. I have read article after article about positive things about Trump. I have talked to multiple people who are voting for him to get their point of view. Did it change my mind? No, but it helped me to understand.

I understand why you voted for Trump. I was born and raised in Appalachia. I have seen extreme poverty and the effects it has on families and communities. I have seen mass desperation as the coal industry has dwindled. You don’t just want change, you need it. I can understand if you voted for his economic policies and his gun laws. I can understand if you voted for him because voting for Hillary truly went against your conscience. I understand that, so please try to understand where I, and other Clinton supporters are coming from.

We are not being “whiny” or “sore losers.” These people are genuinely terrified. Part of this fear comes from things Trump has pledged to do such as profile Muslims, or reverse many of Obama’s mandate, including LGBT and reproductive rights. Even if you don’t think Trump will do any of these things (and I pray he doesn’t), please look around at the violence that has been occurring. There have been multiple reports of Muslims, people of color, and LGBT people being threatened and attacked. Check out this link for some specifics:

https://medium.com/@seanokane/day-1-in-trumps-america-9e4d58381001#.8bdktr8xr

If you would like a more “official” news report, you can do a simple google search to find much of the same. This is why people are afraid. They are being attacked. Their friends and family members are being attacked. They are terrified that at any moment, they could be next. I see many of you posting how you love your friends of color, your Muslims friends, your LGBTQIA friends. I believe you.Now, I’m asking, begging you to show it. When you get defensive and tell your friends to just “get over it” you are not helping them feel loved or safe. Instead, open your arms in love. Offer them a safe space. Tell them you will fight for their rights if it comes to it. Tell them you won’t let anyone hurt them. Listen to them when they need to talk.

While I personally believe that electing Trump was a dangerous decision, I am now rooting for him with everything in me. I will be praying for him every day, because this is still my country, and I want it to succeed. To do that, I need your help. I don’t want to shame you; I want to work with you. I want to stand together as a country to make sure every single person feels safe and loved and respected.

I am #StillWithHer, but before that I am with America. I am with you.