It happened. Our next president has been chosen. Everywhere I look people are posting articles or rants on social media from all different angles, so I have decided to add my two cents. I have had a few days to discuss it with my friends and family, and just take everything in.

I have seen various opinions on this election, people up in arms about the results ready to storm the streets in protest, and others telling those exact people ‘you lost, get over it’. Putting my personal beliefs aside, the bottom line is that it is out of our hands now.

Sure it took me some time to come to this conclusion, but the way I see it is that this person has been chosen to be our leader and we all need to find a way to accept that. Whether you are cheering that your candidate won or going out to join protests against him outside the White House lawn; this is the reality we must accept.

What continues to puzzle me is how we got to this place. How we got to this place of division and hostility over politics. In my mind, people should be able to sit down and have intelligent, civilized conversations about politics, yet all I see around me is the topic of politics turning people into nasty, violent and hateful beings.

Of course, I have my own personal opinions, as does every American citizen. That is something we are entitled to in our country’s constitution. I have friends who have voted liberally, other friends who have voted conservatively, and some friends who want absolutely nothing to do with politics (and I don’t blame them for thinking that way).

But I just feel as though I have missed out on hearing genuine opinions as to why someone voted differently than me. Though I may disagree, I would still like to hear the educated and thoughtful opinions of people who voted differently than I did. And because of this, I am missing out on being fully educated, and missing out on how the other side perceives things.

In the past two years or so of the presidential campaigns leading up to this election, the state of American politics has gotten nastier and nastier. To the point where the news has been more focused on the two major candidate’s personal lives and escapades rather than the issues they will be in charge of when in office.

This should be scary for all Americans, we shouldn’t be voting for a candidate based on the latest scandal, but rather on their legitimate opinions and potential solutions for the issues our country faces today.

Granted I have definitely fallen victim to judging these candidates based on their personal characteristics, ultimately I sided with the person whose beliefs were most aligned with my own.

Overall I think a lot of the issues with politics in our country could be solved by simply communicating with others. Instead of refusing to hear opinions you disagree with, take the time to listen to what people have to say and allow everyone to feel comfortable discussing politics and educating themselves, rather than being so afraid of the topic they don’t even register to vote. I think we should all learn a great deal from this election, and the past two years of campaigning.

For those who are happy with the results, congratulations, I hope this president meets your expectations of him and proves to be beneficial for our country. To those who are distraught over the results, don’t lose faith in your beliefs, and look forward to the fresh young politicians the future will bring for the next election.

I for one am very excited to move forward, see what this election leads to in our country and enjoy great conversation about the results over the holidays with my family and friends.