This is not meant to demean supporters of either side, but rather to confront those who have changed their behavior as a result of the election. It has come to my attention that across various social platforms, the recent election results have caused a number of reactions.

To begin with, many people are partaking in protests across the nation. They constantly receive criticism for "spewing hate" but in peaceful protesting, they are simply exercising their right to assembly under the First Amendment.

However, there are plenty of examples of hate, such as parodied graffiti, saying "make America white again," as well as a number of anecdotes being shared and re-posted regarding racist events happening everywhere, from prominently black churches being burned down to Asian Americans being assaulted and told to return to the country from which they came. Is this what the "melting pot" is supposed to look like?

Yes, racism has always existed, and no, Trump did not create racism, but what are we to think when publicly discriminatory behavior is now perceived as acceptable by so many? What should we expect from a population of racists being empowered by our next president?

Is it really okay to tell people to "go back to where they come from"? Because the incoming president models racist behavior? Have you always felt this way about other races? Are you just following your role model while he jumps off of a cliff? Do you genuinely believe that certain issues in the country are at the hands of certain racial groups?

What about the female population? What about your mom? Your girlfriend? Your sister? What if a man repetitively made remarks about grabbing her inappropriately? Would you allow that sort of behavior towards any woman in your life?

And as for our friends of the LGBTQ community? What about the tragedy our country recently suffered when a man opened fire on a gay night club in Orlando? We came together as a country to support those affected by the mass shooting but with the election results, we must consider how far we have come as a country and never forget that. Even if the incoming vice president advocates for conversion therapy, we must remember that not only did we recently legalize gay marriage, but we were able to come together to support the gay community as a whole. We are capable of change. We are capable of progression. We are capable of fighting back.

I will not change my opinion of you depending on who you voted for, but the one thing I cannot respect is negative change. If the win of your favored candidate empowers you to treat anyone less, whether it be due to the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender, or any trait for that matter, you are the sole reason we should lose hope.

The beauty of a democracy is in the fact that everyone is entitled to their own, personal opinions. We may vary in stances on political matters, but the fact that civility and respect disappeared with the end of the presidential election is what saddens me most. Opinions about people based entirely off of race or sex or sexual orientation will be the only cause of regression in our nation. Our president is the leader of the nation but he does not control our actions.

So what's next? We must make changes ourselves and for the sake of our futures, as well as for our future generations. We must keep open minds about others and keep our opinions peaceful in nature. We must remain civil and treat one another the same respect that we expect. The only way to avoid such anticipated regression within our nation is to practice the peace that we preach.