I have a responsibility to finish this fight. This is not the first time that sexism has won in the United States of America, and I am doubtful that it will be the last. We still have ways to go. This was, however, the first time that I had a political say in this matter, considering my 18th birthday in September.
So naturally, after my chosen candidate was not triumphant, I felt a myriad of emotions: anger, disappointment, sadness, confusion.
Despite the popular opinion that social media and political views are not meant to mix, nor do they do it well, I actually felt comfort on the internet these past couple of days. I learned that I am not alone in my feelings, and that there is a plethora of people with whom I can stand beside in moments of despair.
Unfortunately, I have also witnessed a lot of hatefulness, with which I do not comply. It is nothing but an incorrect response. We are reacting to the triumph of a candidate who campaigned on hate, and we are afraid that those ideals expressed on the campaign trail will truly persist in the presidency beginning in January 2017.
But as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
Take your time to grieve this loss—it is validated, and I stand with those who are fearful of the future. But then, let us stand up straighter, pull our shoulders back farther, lift our chins higher towards the fact that the fight is not over. In fact, it may have just begun.
If you are upset with the election results, TAKE ACTION! Do not stand stagnant; lobby, protest, petition for our rights that were not promised on the campaign trail. A woman’s right to choose, an LGBTQ+ person’s right to love outwardly and openly. For equality! Racial equality, especially—to all those facing discrimination for the color of their skin, I cannot understand what you endure but I see you and stand with you. Your life matters.
And for the love of God, GENDER EQUALITY!
Hillary Clinton, a woman who has spent her life viewed as lesser in her area of expertise because of her sex, has lost to a wildly under-qualified man with no experience in her field.
It is demoralizing to know how a woman had to work twice as hard as a man to even be taken seriously and still not come out on top in the end.
And so, she is not our first woman president. And, since we cannot change what happened on Tuesday night, that is okay—we will keep moving forward, using this as an incentive to keep fighting for what we believe in. Fighting for what’s right will always be worth it, as Hillary said herself!
We will shatter the glass ceiling! You are OUT THERE, first woman prez!! I will, and cannot wait to, see you rise to become a beacon of hope in my lifetime, I am sure of it.
The time for hate and discrimination is over, if I can help it. The fight for women, however, is far from it. Let’s stick together to stand up against the promotion of sexual misconduct and disrespect of women in our society. Let’s stand up for our voices and for our bodies, stand up against the notion that we are lesser than men until equality is truly achieved.
Let’s do this. Get to work.
