Following the election, I had a lot of mixed emotions regarding the President-elect and the values he held. Growing up in 21st century America, I have only been exposed to one memorable election and that was filled with corruption.

Today, I can tell you more reasons why America thinks Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton are respectively unfit to be president rather than the political standpoints they have. Throughout the course of the election, I couldn't go on Facebook without seeing my newsfeed filled with opinions tirelessly arguing for one side or the other and it unfortunately hasn't stopped.

I get it. Your president didn't win and going to a protest to voice how you're feeling might make you feel better but at the end of the day, no amount of complaining is going to change the outcome.

Had President Obama passed a controversial bill, most Americans would've given it the careful consideration it deserves. But since so many people (rightfully) morally disagree with the bigoted, homophobic, and sexist slurs of Trump, they don't entertain any idea of acceptance, which is the very reason they disapprove of Trump.

The Achilles Heel of Donald Trump isn't the political views that he has because there was only a 2.1% gap between those who voted for Trump vs. Clinton. Everyone has their own reason for voting the way they did.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed to be a part of a nation that does not recognize the intent of our founding fathers was not to have two, three, or four political parties -- it was to have none. The founders of the United States of America were republicans with a lowercase “r.” They believed the political process was all about identifying the common good and avoiding disagreement and competition. They believed in compromise and unity, not for there to be winners and losers. They believed in a nation that could unite under one vision. They believed that political parties would ruin our nation, and guess what? Today, I believe they have.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed because the vision of our Founding Fathers seems completely absurd. Everyone unite for the common good of America? Lol good one Thomas Jefferson. Real funny. Y’all thought we could play nice as one but even when George Washington was in office, parties started to form. It took our Founding Fathers one hundred and sixteen days to write the United States Constitution, and that’s not because it took that long to come up with solid ideas to guide our country with in the future. There were several discussions, drafts, and rewrites of the Constitution, with no singular person being solely responsible for its creation. Our Founding Fathers actually took the time to sit down and work through the ideas they had and overcame their differences.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed to be a part of a nation that allows one election to divide our great nation right down the middle. This election did not feel like an opportunity for America to choose who they felt would best serve the needs of our people and propel us forward as a nation; this election felt like an election for prom queen. Seriously America? Weren’t we raised to not build ourselves up by tearing others down? Whenever I turned on a debate, it wasn’t about what each candidate would do to fix an issue -- it was about what the opposing candidate would not do. Yes both our candidates engaged in this vicious habit of attacking each other but it’s what we as Americans promoted when we elected for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to represent us. I am ashamed that we as a nation let that happen.

Today, I am ashamed to live in America.

I am ashamed to live in a country where I cannot voice my opinion without the fear of getting criticized. Living in America, the First Amendment states that our freedom of speech shall not be abridged, yet I feel when I speak, it is. I am shoved into this spiral of silence because I am surrounded by others with views quite different from my own.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American

I am ashamed to be live with those in America who chose to disclose their political views by discrediting the value of another candidate. Growing up, I was raised under the idea that if you did not have anything nice to say, then don’t say it. Today in America, we have lost sight of the values we were raised on and begun to belittle the values of other people simply because we do not feel the same way as them.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed for those who have jumped to the conclusion that our country is doomed because Trump was elected as our President. About half of America feels like we are about to get royally screwed as a country over the next four years. Of course, there were people who voted for Hillary Clinton because they felt they aligned with the views she had. Others voted for Clinton because they wanted to see a female take the office and set an example for young girls across the country to believe that they, too, could become President of the United States one day. Then there were those who were with her simply because they did not like Trump. No matter the reason for voting for Hillary Clinton, the views she has still exist today. They did not evaporate into thin air once her run for presidency ended yet Americans are treating it like the end of the world. I promise you, it is not. Do not go running off to Canada.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed for those 15,000 Americans who voted for Harambe. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of maturity exercised by those who were at least 18 years of age and wasted their right to vote that we as women fought so hard to obtain. Yes, I will admit that it is a little humorous but voting for a dead gorilla is a bit concerning. In such a trying time in our country’s history, we were all counting on each other to treat this important privilege seriously, because yes, voting is a privilege that can be revoked. Though it will not be revoked because you voted for Harambe, there is no amendment in the Constitution that says that it is your right as an American to vote. It is your civic duty, not your right. It should be promoted and practiced but never abused.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed to live in a nation where I feel thankful that I could not vote. I was 17 years and 354 days old on the day of the election -- 11 days shy of becoming an eligible voter. I am ashamed because I feel like I dodged a bullet when people would ask me who I voted for and I simply said, “I can’t, I am 17.” Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely wish I had an opportunity to cast my vote in this madness that we call an election. However, seeing just how out of control America has gotten over politics leaves quite a black eye on the whole voting thing for me.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed to be a part of an American culture where we feel so strongly that there was a right person and a wrong person to vote for. I feel as an American, in “the land of the free, home of the brave,” we should have confidence in the opinions we hold and whole-heartedly believe in the candidates we are voting for. Sure, we might not agree 100% with every policy a particular candidate has in mind, but that should not mean we back down from sharing who we decided to vote for when asked. For some, it is a privacy issue, but unfortunately for many, we shy away out of fear of getting criticized for our views. Many of us lack the level of certainty we need to back up our candidate.

Today, I am ashamed to be an American.

I am ashamed that we as a nation have so much hatred built up towards a certain candidate, that we have let it blind us from other issues in our lives. Of course the election is a very important event but we all have lives to live and we need to move on past it. Do what you need to do to cope with results, but just get over it. I promise you that your long Facebook rant is not going to alter the outcome of the election but if it is what helps you move on, by all means, go for it. But do not dwell. Time is not going to pause just so you can recover from the shock of the election. It will go on without missing a beat and it is up to you how you respond.