This election has stirred up a lot of harsh feelings in the past week. People are riled up and speaking out.

But what I want to know is where that fire and passion was before the election results?

Our country was never, is not, and will never be perfect. One president will not change that.

The truth is America has always been corrupted and I don’t think we should be blaming any specific person or group.

Bad things will happen in this sinful world no matter who is in charge. Many people have this false, idealistic view of the United States as the perfect country—land of the free, home of the brave. The “American Dream” is something every average man, woman, and child is working toward.

But what’s so dreamy about America?

The Salem witch trials happened. Slavery happened. The Civil War happened. The Great Depression happened. 9/11 happened.

Women couldn’t vote. Native Americans were forced out of their land. Immigrants were sent to die in concentration camps. The economy crashed. Our country’s leaders have been assassinated.

And there is still war. Murders are still occurring by the hour. Discrimination and oppression continue to happen every day.

You can’t seriously think that a single president is responsible for any of this. One man or woman cannot change the actions of an entire country.

Americans caused these problems and Americans must fix them.

Our future is in our hands.

A president is nothing without a country behind it.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are human beings, along with the rest of the 3.2 million people living in this country. America is a melting pot, filled with immense diversity. We are all different in culture, lifestyle, and opinions.

But your label does not define you. Republican, Democrat, Independent, Liberal, Conservative, black, white, man, woman, gay, straight…these are all just words. You are so much more than that. Don’t let stereotypes control how you think or live your life.

You can fight for protection, you can stand up for women’s rights, you can stop abortion. You can stand up for what you believe in no matter what political party you may identify with.

These parties should not be separating us. We should not be fighting against ourselves; but rather, fighting against a common enemy. We should be tackling poverty, prejudice, sickness, and war.

We should be spreading kindness, care, and love, not hate, violence, and discrimination.

Together we can end the problems that distress out country. We can’t put this country’s fate into the hands of one man.

Nothing is going to change if you don’t take action.

Remember those awful things that happened in American history, learn from them, and use them as motivation to move forward and take a stand. Our history does not define us, but rather what we do from here.

So stop your whining, complaining, pointing fingers, bitter messages, and hate.

Be proud to be an American, not resentful. Go out and make a difference.

Make America great on your own. And not just for the next 4 years…for life.