I grew up in a house where I was taught to love the people around me. Friends, family, classmates, neighbors; it didn’t matter the relationship that connected us. My parents taught me that loving others and respecting them for who they are and what they believe was one of the most important ways to live by. Therefore, I am not racist. I am not anti-women (I am a woman!). I do not hate gay people. I am a Republican, but that does not make me heartless.

I am grateful for the way my parents raised my brother and I. They taught us to be accepting of everyone. There has never been a time in my life where I feared being friends with someone because of the color of their skin or their religious or political beliefs. As a young college student with all the desire in the world to accept everyone for who they are, it is disheartening to be stereotyped as racist, sexist, and homophobic, just because I identify myself as a Republican.

On November 8^th, 2016, I proudly voted in my very first presidential election. On November 9^th, 2016, I went to class after class and listened to my professors talk to their students as if the previous night was the worst night of their lives. Apologizing for not cancelling class so that we could all “recover,” and spending time we could be learning to explain their plans to move to Canada. In my opinion, this kind of talk has made college students who voted Republican afraid to express their feelings about the results of the election. This is discouraging because as Americans we should be able to express our opinions without being labeled and attacked by others. I do not believe either candidate was a great option. Both have flaws and I have certainly questioned both of their characters. However, I am happy the Republican party will be in office for the next four years.

My parents taught me to always be loving and kind. I truly consider them as two of the greatest political role models I have in my life. They always let me formulate my own opinion about political policy and they never once pressured me to believe the same things they did. In fact, there are some things that we disagree on. But they will always be respectful of my political views. And while I was taught that we don’t always have to agree with one another, we should be respectful towards others opinions. Just as we should allow one another to express their disappointment in the results of the election, it is just as important that we allow one another to express their optimism about what this election means for the future of our country.