I honestly cried the first time I heard that Trump was elected President.
I thought of all of the people who will be affected and how many rights will be taken away. Slowly I thought that there was no way that America, an amazing country like ours — an entire nation built for religious freedoms and as a safe haven for people all across the world — would start persecuting and attacking American citizens based on their skin color and religious background.
After awhile, I slowly gained hope that we could fight whatever Trump would throw at us that we knew is not morally or ethically right, but then I saw the moments throughout the day on Twitter and everything that I saw I had lost faith in my country. My heart slowly started to break the more that I saw the posts people have posted and what they were going through.
And as I was sitting there in the middle of the library, I cried once more. I did not hold back any tears, I started grieving for my country all over again.
I thought that America was better than this, the home of freedom and democracy has slowly turned into the equivalent to modern day Nazi Germany. It ASHAMED me as a future teacher to read that a teacher refused to help a young student who was being taunted and bullied by others based on his race and was told if he fought back he would be suspended. It made my heart GREIVE when I read that some people are AFRAID to even practice their First Amendment right by wearing the Hijab because of how people would treat them. I grew ANGRY when I saw that an old man threatened to rape a Latina woman and told her to get out of the country. I wanted to SCREAM in RAGE that someone would deny someone the right to marry the person that they loved.
I am so sorry, America. I am sorry to all of my students who were so upset at school because they no longer feel safe, I am sorry to everyone who has been persecuted the past few days. I know I am sorry is not enough to fix this, I promise, within every inch of my power as a woman, as a future teacher, as an activist that I will fight along side you. I will fight until intolerance is just a memory, I will fight until I know that I will be proud to live in a country where equal rights for EVERYONE can be accomplished. I will no longer just be a voice, I will be the action.
What has happened the past few days is not acceptable. It will not be tolerated by me and others who share the same opinion. You can be a Democrat or a Republican, know what is morally right. Do not buy into what Trump says is change and that it will "Make America Great Again." It won't.
What Trump wants is to divide America, not heal it. We need to make sure that we think not with the prejudice that we have been taught over and over again. Not every Trump supporter is like him, we need to debate and show them why we believe that he is not for us. We need to stop the threats against each other, we need to stop thinking that all republicans are evil, we need to stop thinking that all democrats are socialists.
The entire country is at stake. And we need to rise up against it. America needs to be great again, but not in the way that Trump sees fit. We need to make America great again by spreading love to everyone. Even to those who are different than us. We need to take the action that others are too afraid to take. We are the action and the solution.