Dear Donald Trump,

To begin I would like to congratulate you for doing what no one thought was possible. You won the presidential election. I will be the first to admit that I was not thrilled about this, and I continue to struggle with it. I cried when I learned that you were elected to be our 45^th president. I also cried when same-sex marriage was legalized last year, but on that day it was out of happiness. To be entirely honest, I was extremely saddened and angry to learn that you were elected. I did not understand how it could happen. Before anyone resorts to calling me a whiny liberal, hear me out.

Mr. Trump, millions of people are terrified at the idea of you becoming president. These people include women, minorities, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, Muslims, Latinx and so many others. My friend sent me a text from her public high school on the morning of November 9^th, telling me that many students were upset by your victory in the election. I told her that I was scared for minorities. She replied with “Those are exactly the students who are upset the most.” This speaks volumes to me. I think this fear of your presidency stems from things you have said during your campaign or promised to do in office. I have yet to see any proof that their fear is unjustified.

Why do I care? I’m a white, heterosexual woman of good socioeconomic status. I am fairly unlikely to be affected by most of the ideas that you have proposed, but I know people who will be. I may not be able to fully understand what many minority groups are going through, but I hear their voices. I feel their pain, and I can't ignore it. They are my people, and they are your people too.

I will admit that the media has not been your friend throughout your campaign. They have perpetuated rumors about you that are not necessarily true. I do truly wish that this election had been more civil. I did not vote for you, but I can confidently say that I did so based on my stances on political issues. Our opinions on the issues do not always match up, and that’s okay. I respect your stances regardless of whether or not I agree with them. However, I would be lying if I said that some of your statements did not concern me. You have made comments about women and minorities that I interpreted as being uncalled for. You have your right to free speech just like anyone else, and I’m not trying to be the PC police here. Nevertheless, I must stress that it is possible to speak your mind without belittling entire groups of people in the process.

Words have meaning, and they have consequences. The consequence in this case is fear. People are scared to have you as our president, and I think that they are justified in feeling this way. Do I condone the flag burning and violence that has erupted? Absolutely not. That is not a constructive way to handle any situation. I respect you, Mr. Trump. I respect that so many people are feeling hopeful as a result of your election to the White House. I think that what most of us need to have proven to us is that you respect the people. All people. We want to know that you will fight for the people. All people. I hope that you will represent us all, regardless of gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, or any other background. I want to work with you, and I trust you to protect the rights of those who are feeling vulnerable right now.

I truly hope that you prove my opinions of you wrong. I hope that you succeed in uniting the American people. Although we have many different opinions, we are one nation. Promise me something. Promise me that all voices will continue to be heard. Voices need to be heard across party lines and from every corner of the U.S.A. I am sure that there will be disagreements, but everyone in the country needs to be shown that they matter. We are a nation of diverse backgrounds and opinions where everyone deserves a place and a voice. That’s what America is about.

Sincerely,

A concerned, but hopeful American