I have been a proud Hillary supporter throughout this election season, repeatedly writing articles that voiced my fears about a Trump presidency; on the night of the election, for the first time in a long time, I found myself speechless.
The explanation for my distaste towards Trump is simple: I refuse to support someone who does not respect those around him. His unfiltered hatred towards entire demographics has repeatedly made my blood boil. We have repeatedly watched this man insult minorities, women—even the people who support him. And yet, even with large numbers of people opposing his views, he has successfully become one of the most outspoken presidential candidates for the 2016 election.
Election night was difficult to watch: it felt as if our nation had been completely polarized. I couldn't turn to a hate-filled social media for distraction. I couldn’t escape the frustration of that night. While I do genuinely despise what Trump stands for and was incredibly agitated by his followers blind devotion, Democratic voters were also echoing his level of animosity, resorting to the internet to channel their own frustration. And with a simple click of the power button on my laptop, I disappeared off the internet, going to bed before the election had even been won.
Since I started posting my writing on the Odyssey site, I’ve learned one important lesson: timing is everything. You need to be on top of news stories, since within a week they may no longer be relevant. Obviously I had wanted to write about the election that weekend, so I turned to my computer with a heavy heart. For days I stared at my blank page; the words never came.
For the first time in over a year, I decided to take a break from writing. I would let myself breathe and truly think about how I felt and what this would mean for not only the people around me, but for my country.
In that week my whirring mind gradually progressed from irate to agitated to resigned acceptance.
The break from my own thoughts was needed. While I am still not the biggest fan of Trump, I realize now that he is officially the president elect. The rallies, the anger, the frustration does not go unjustified, but it also does not reflect the attitude that our country so desperately needs. There is no productivity in watching this man fail, because that means that as he fails, we fail too. This hatred achieves nothing. Instead, a more even-tempered and composed approach is needed. While none of us may have ever predicted this to be the outcome of our country, it is our time to protect the progress we have made.
The despair and destruction seen in our nation will not subside if we continue to dwell on the past and scream out our frustrations. While sometimes it feels as if we must act out immediately spewing our emotions into an already angry world, sometimes it is important to take a step back.
Instead of acting out, we must remain faithful in the citizens of our country to support us. We must remain hopeful that our country will continue to get better. We must trust that our nation will lead with love and keep peace in mind.