It is with a heavy heart and tears rolling onto my computer keyboard that I write this.
The results of the 2016 presidential election have me feeling a messy array of emotions; most of which I did not know I held within myself until the result was revealed. Some of these include anger, fear, and abhorrence. But others include hope, faith, and humility. I will start by saying this: I have only the highest respect for every person that chose to vote in this election. So many people lack the sense of efficacy to perform this privilege, and they forget that we, the people, have the power to make change. If you voted, thank you.
I have been a registered member of the Republican Party since I was 18. I grew up in this environment and it was what I thought to be right. I was raised on conservative beliefs and I still hold many of them. But when a racist, erratic, and closed-minded white man took the nomination in my party, I began to question everything. How could the people that I love – my own friends and family – support a man like this?
He is now the President-elect of the United States of America, and I am scared for what this will bring.
Here is an anecdote to put my feelings into perspective: I had the opportunity to study abroad last summer, through which I was fortunate enough to travel to several different countries – countries that are vastly different from the United States. The culture shock was sometimes hard to handle, and I would be lying if I said I was never homesick. At times, all I wanted was to be home in my little town in Virginia, because America is supposed to be safe.
Now I will say this: I have never been more fearful for my safety in any country than I am for it in my own under a Trump Presidency. I fear for my female friends. I fear for my LGBTQ friends. I fear for my minority friends. I fear for any group that has been blatantly bashed by Donald Trump’s rhetoric. And I fear for the country’s protection as a whole from outside threats.
But I still have hope, and I'm holding onto it tighter than ever before.
The millennial vote was blue in at least 37 out of 50 states. We voted against hate. We voted against prejudice. We voted for progression. We voted for inclusion. We are the rising generation and as time goes on, we will be stronger. We forget how powerful our words are; we cannot forget that words inspire action. Never underestimate that. Let your voices be heard. Charge them with love because love is louder. Speak up. Fight.
In case you haven’t already figured it out, I changed my party affiliation – and I have never had a stronger sense of political efficacy that I do right now. My highest hope for the future is that other millennials feel the same way. I hope that this election has inspired students – whether they may be in elementary school, high school, or college – to study politics and seek careers in its surrounding facets. The only way to make a change is to first change the way we see politics. More students must believe that they can succeed in this field; that their opinions are not meaningless, and that they can make a difference.
I believe that the future of this great nation is in our hands. We can change it. I pray that we will never again have a presidential candidate that so openly supports holding the rights of some human lives to a higher standard than others. It is a vile and toxic pretense that I pray will never be fulfilled. I will never stop fighting for the equality of human rights.
And I have faith that love will win.
