If you have been living under a rock, and this is somehow the first piece of media you see covering the matter, Donald Trump has been elected president. He has beaten out Hillary Clinton by a margin very few thought possible. In the wake of this astonishing result, anti-Trump protests have sprung up across the country, in cities from New York to Los Angeles. I am happy to say that they have been mostly peaceful, with the violence largely directed towards piñataI am not a racist or a misogynist. As such, I am as horrified by these results as much as anyone with my worldview is. I fear for the all the gains we've made socially since the eighties. I fear for the women, the minorities, and the members of the LGBTQ community. That said, I also fear for our unity, our integrity, and our ability to learn from our mistakes and understand each other.

Anyone who protests Trump simply because they don't think he should be president is being hypocritical. Before the election, we were predicting that if Trump lost, and say, won the popular vote (ring any bells?) that there would be hell to pay from both him and his supporters. I have no doubt in my mind that this would have been the case if that had happened. Now, Hillary Clinton gave an amazing concession speech, especially considering the level of disrespect she faced in this election. But what about her supporters? They are in protest of the results of an election, that as far as we know, was a completely fair race. Therein lies the hypocrisy. There wouldn't have been a peep out of these same people if Hillary had won, even if she had won the electoral college and not the popular vote.

Don't like it because you think the electoral college system is ridiculous? I agree, it is ridiculous. But don't just say that because it ended up in favor of Donald Trump. Research the system, learn how it works and why it was created in the first place. Then you can take an educated stance on the issue right now and in the future, so eventually we can get rid of the system. Don't think Donald Trump is fit to be president? Sorry, but a very large portion of the country disagrees with you. And I think we should be putting our energy into understanding why an African American would vote for an open racist, or a woman would vote for an open misogynist. "Deplorable" isn't a good enough description for his supporters anymore, because they aren't all just far-right radicals, just as most people who voted for Hillary Clinton aren't die hard Hillary Clinton fans.There is a fundamental lack of communication between different groups of people, and this is the case in any country that is currently experiencing the populist movement, and the problem will only get worse if we continue to ignore it

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Trump will be sworn in this January. There isn't much anyone can do about this that wouldn't sink the country into even deeper trouble. It is time to put down your signs, your piñatas, your insults and your outrage. It is time to understand what has brought the Western world to this disturbing place. Defend your rights, by all means. In 2018, the entire House of Representatives is contested, as well as 33 of the 100 seats in the senate and 36 governorships. At that moment, the Republicans hold the majority in both the House and the Senate, making these elections of paramount importance to the Democrats. Get out there and vote if you're old enough. In the meantime, be a gracious winner if you won, and a good loser if you lost. Above all, keep an open mind. We cannot 'go high' while calling them 'low'- the only way forward is to rise together.