Donald Trump is our president. This is a fact we cannot change as of Friday morning; Donald Trump is our president. Let it sink in. A grossly impotent man with no experience whatsoever in politics is in charge of the most powerful country in the world. This is our reality. When it was announced in early November that Trump had won the election over Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, the world was in shock. To further add salt to the wound, the House of Representatives and Senate is comprised of mostly Republican members. Things are going to change and they are going to change fast. In the weeks leading to the Inauguration, Trump announced his nominees for his cabinet which gave the people just more things to be very concerned about. The nominee for Department of Education would want schools to choose whether to have guns in schools (a school in Wisconsin could want guns to protect themselves from the grizzlies) or whether schools should enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Act which, will ultimately, cut funding for students with special needs in school. Rick Perry once said that there is no need to have a Department for Energy and is now the nominee to run said department. Donald Trump’s cabinet brings in a combination of ethical problems, inexperience, and ignorance that is simply unacceptable. Obama has left the White House. Donald Trump is our president.

But there is a much greater problem in our country and it’s the people. There is a great divide in the nation right now. The day after Trump was elected hate crimes across the country skyrocketed. Immigrants, gays, women, transgendered people, and people of color became victims of hatred because Trump made it okay to do so. Trump has made it okay to be racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic but we need to remember that not everyone who voted for him is a racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic person. Some people voted for him because they liked his ideas of certain policies, and overlooked the obscenities he said and did. Just like some people voted for Hillary because she is overqualified and experienced but overlooked that she’s kind of a shady bitch. But we can’t keep attacking each other. If you’re happy that Trump won, that’s great. If you’re upset that Trump won, it’s understandable. There needs to be room for discussion. Talk to a Republican and try to understand why they voted for him. Talk to a Democrat and don’t minimize their concerns.

During the Inauguration, riots were going on in Washington DC. Citizens were destroying stores, setting limos on fire, and that’s something that I’m personally not okay with. It is perfectly fine to express your concern and your hatred, but fighting fire with more fire does not make us better than the bad guys. Instead, we need to lead through example. The Women’s March was deeply moving. Women and men across the nation, even across the world, peacefully protested down their streets. Holding up signs & chanting made all the difference in the world. They expressed their concerns without ever getting hostile or aggressive. The message was loud and clear: we do not agree you and our opinions will not be pushed aside and will be heard. People were united and this is what we need now more than ever. Unity and hope. Hope that Trump won’t fuck everything up for everyone. Hope that these next four, maybe eight years, works out in the favor of all the people. If there’s something you don’t agree with, don’t complain about it on social media. Write to your senators. Let your voice be heard. Make a change. Be the change. Sitting idly by will not make a difference, we need to get on our feet and fight for human decency.

“The president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America.”