"Build the Wall" - A common phrase normally connected with president-elect Donald Trump. Trump has said that he intends to construct a wall in order to improve the security of the United States and mainly to deter illegal immigrants. The wall, for some, has become a sign of oppression and terror, while others see it as a chance for our nation to grow. Many believe that this wall will actually be built and some believe that this idea is astronomical and would never happen. For a moment, stop thinking of who you voted for or what you think about this wall and have an open mind.

You ready?

What if I told you the wall already exists? Well, ladies and gentlemen, it does.

Sure it is not a visible structure of brick or concrete, but it does exist, in each and every one of us. Many say that this election has brought out the worst in people and has turned us against one another, but I can tell you all that this hatred and cruelty did not suddenly appear because of this election. Sure, this election has caused serious tension and significantly divided many citizens, but it is not responsible for what is going on in our country. That being said, neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton is responsible for the hatred in this country, though they may have contributed to it (but that is a matter of political opinion - and we tossed those out at the beginning remember?).

So at this point, you might be wondering where I'm going by saying that we all have our own walls, but I'll explain. Over time, our walls have been slowly built, brick by brick. A few bricks might come from our families, what they believe, who they vote for, etc. A few bricks might come from our religion or beliefs. A few bricks might come from our own individual experiences or what we've learned in our lifetime. For many, their wall is made of positive bricks, meaning that they were built to keep the values that are important to them in, but because we are human, and we all are, there are some bad bricks that separate us in the mix.

We constructed our walls mainly to shield us from people we might not agree with or that make us uncomfortable, and that is what causes problems. Humans have always been in conflict with one another, and history can back me up. Race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, economic or social status are just a few major things that tend to divide us - these are the reasons we build our walls.

I know by saying we are a divided people for these reasons are not new to most, but I think many of us have forgotten that we all have our walls. Over the past few months in this election (though we aren’t focusing on opinion) both Clinton and Trump supporters alike have taken to social media and the streets to show their distaste, to put it nicely, for the other candidate. In these past few months, I have seen a division in America like no other. This is why I wanted to point out that we ALL have walls.

When you post something negative about someone who supports a different candidate than yourself or you feel the need to protest or hurt someone different, allow me to suggest some advice.

Protest – but do not become.

This is not an invitation for you to go out and destroy cities and burn buildings like the Incredible Hulk, but rather honor your First Amendment right and stand for something you believe in - just don't let it turn you into what you are against. For example, if you are against Donald Trump and his supporters and you post on social media that they are all sexist and racist bigots, or you go out to NYC and attempt to bomb Trump Tower – aren’t you becoming something just as bad? By bombing or speaking hatred, you are just as bad as those who do the same on the opposing side. If you are against Hillary Clinton and accuse people of being murderers because they are Pro-Choice, call those who are LBGTQ abnormal or other hateful slurs, or verbally or physically assault them because they go against your views, aren't you just adding fuel to the fire?

I remind you again, peacefully protest and speak your mind, because it is your right as Americans that our soldiers fight for, but do not become. Speak your mind, but not at the expense of hurting others. Do not tear down your wall completely, as some of it was built of off solid and positive values, but renovate a bit – and try you best to accept others.

Yes, there are some people in this world that our walls are built to protect us from and with good reason, like terrorists who threaten our daily life. But what I am asking of you is to recognize that you too have built your own wall inside of yourself. I know you think you are right condemning the other side, and that is your belief, but we all must recognize that if our walls didn’t exist – we wouldn’t be posting the things we are or hurting others the way we do.

I am just as guilty of this as the next person, because I posted many hurtful things about those who supported the candidate I didn't like, so together, let's start to chip away at our walls and be the America we know we can be. Let's return to the UNITED States of America and prove that we are in charge of ourselves, because the leader of our country may govern our nation, but he does not control who we choose to be. God bless.