Let me just start off by saying that I know that this election, whether you are a Trump or Clinton supporter, has caused a lot of stress for everyone. I stayed up late on election night anxiously waiting for the results as many people did, and it is safe to say I was not the only one who was surprised about the results. Trump's victory came as a shock for many Americans, and many people feel very angry about it. As a way of displaying this anger, people have been chanting "Not My President" during protests or writing it on sidewalks of different college campuses. Now I understand why some people want to speak up about their disappointment with the election, but this trend needs to stop. Here's why:

Trump is our President, and it's time to accept it. The American people voted, and Trump won the electoral college fair and square, as the framework of the Constitution intended. So he literally is your President. If you are unhappy with the results, you can protest, get in fights, and say #NotMyPresident, but isn't that somewhat hypocritical?

When I ask my liberal friends why they voted for Clinton, most of them say something along the lines of "I am not going to vote for a man who preaches hate." And I agree, Trump has said some unconventional things that I do not condone. But if your response to his victory is fighting everyone who has different views from you, calling people "racist, sexist, or misogynists" for expressing their right to vote in this country, or protesting and refusing to accept his victory, then you are not helping this country get any better. In fact, you are making it worse. When you attack people for their political decisions, people feel threatened and will either get defensive, fight back, or be forced into silence. This creates tension between the American people, and a completely torn and divided country is not what we need right now in order for the next four years to be successful.

No protesting is gonna change the fact that Trump was elected president. But that doesn't mean you should stop involving yourself in politics. If you are really passionate about certain issues, then you can focus your efforts on protesting things in the future that are preventable, where your voice can actually make a change. But for now, you cannot change the fact that Trump is president, and it is time for Democrats and Republicans to unite and move forward as a country instead of regressing through expressing hatred for one another. America's future is not over because of Trump's victory, and there is hope for a well run presidency if you accept it, work with it, and let it happen.