In the aftermath of such a painfully divisive election cycle, I was greatly disappointed to see that the hashtag being taken up by people devastated by Trump's victory was #notmypresident.

First, I'd like to establish that this is not a pro-Trump article. As a volunteer for an after school homework program for kids from low income families, I know that many of my little Latino 5th and 6th graders must have gone to bed Tuesday night in pure terror, crying themselves to sleep. My heart breaks for them, and conservative though I am, I refused to give Trump my mandate through voting for him. However, for those reading this who did vote for Trump, I do understand and respect your decision.

However, just because I didn't vote for him does NOT mean that he's not my President-Elect. Donald Trump WILL be the next president, whether we like or not. And refusing to call him our own personal president is like me refusing to acknowledge that I'm handicapped. Suppose I decided to come out as transabled (yes, that's a thing. They are people who decide that their body's physical capabilities don't reflect who they want to be, often resulting in a sawed off leg or arm). I announce to the world that I no longer identify as handicapped, and I am physically able to do whatever a person without a multiple joint disorder might do.

Can you imagine how silly I'd look? I'd just be desperately trying to separate my identity from a weakness that I know that I have. I'd be unable to appropriately cope with the problems in my body and in my life by pretending they aren't there. In a similar way, what the hashtag #notmypresident does is attempts to remove Trump's mandate to rule in an extremely unhealthy way. Though unintended, the hashtag screams #notmyproblem. The trouble is, Trump IS our problem.

Respecting the Democratic system that our Founding Fathers saw fit to bestow upon us looks like respecting whoever is chosen for the office of President. Abraham Lincoln was a devout believer in the idea that laws, no matter what kind, need to be respected and upheld. Our President, no matter who it is, needs to be acknowledged as the President by the law of our country, no matter how much one might despise him. However, Lincoln does say this:

While I so pressingly urge a strict observance of all the laws, let me not be understood as saying that there are no bad laws... I mean to say no such thing. But I do mean to say, that although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in force, for the sake of example. they should be religiously observed.

Let us continue in the tradition Lincoln has described for us, respecting the powers in place, but striving to remove the bad laws, or bad Presidents. Lincoln valued nothing higher than the unity of the country. In his time, the people saying #notmypresident literally formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln was willing to go to war over the unity of the country, and held the Union in a higher value than nearly all else. It makes me incredibly proud to see President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton following in Lincoln's footsteps. After Trump's victory, Obama said this:

Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We're not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night. That's what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that. That's what the country needs -- a sense of unity; a sense of inclusion,; a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law; and a respect for each other. I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin.

I'm incredibly proud of Obama for keeping his head held up high and rallying the nation to stand as one, despite such deep ideological differences. Clinton said much of the same thing:

Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans... We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.

Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don't just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.

Hillary Clinton is doing a excellent job of providing an example for which everybody would do well to follow. She freely admits that Donald Trump is going to be our president. She suffers under no delusions that because she didn't vote for him his presidency doesn't apply to her, and keeps her head held high.

To the people grieving because Trump won: I understand you. I may not feel as deeply as every one of you, or be as fearful as some of you since I'm a straight white male, but I can emphasize with your pain. However, your country needs you now more than ever. Please do not stereotype Trump supporters, and claim that they are racist, misogynist and bigoted. Please engage with them in civilized debate, and truly listen to them. Please do not use the hashtag #notmypresident, because it invalidates democracy as well as puts forward a wall of unwillingness to cooperate with the other side.

We have a long road ahead of us. Let's walk it together.