We’re two weeks post-Trump and it’s time to deal

I might as well start this off by saying that I voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 general election. I have my reasons, but I’m not going to sit here and tell you them. A majority of the millennials are grieving and they are scared. Neither I, and nobody else, can tell people how to feel.

So please let me apologize because I feel for how you all feel. I hurt because you hurt.

Hillary Clinton said it herself — the nation is more divided than originally thought. That idea of division alone scares me, when I initially voted Trump because of his constant push for unity among every American citizen. No matter who you supported/voted for, no matter what your current emotion regarding the election, I sincerely am hoping we can all move on from this together and make this work for the best of us. I, and other fellow Republicans and Trump supporters, have been essentially reprimanded for voting a certain candidate to the presidency. 

A huge part of why I’m proud to be an American is because of our never-ending freedom. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: free speech and free thought are two things greatly valued by Democrats and Republicans alike. With that being said, we need to unite and respect each other, and speak freely, but be mindful of who/what our audiences are. For example, it’s never fair to terminate long-lasting friendships over political stances, or call your friends bigots, racists, homophobes, etc. Chances are, if you’ve been friends for so long it’s probably the opposite.

Same goes for calling your friends overly dramatic, accusing them of supporting a “liar” and a “criminal”, etc. We absolutely need to be respectful and supportive of each other’s decisions because we’re all different, and that’s the beauty of American freedom.

A recent video has gone viral from a big name we’ve all heard of — Miley Cyrus. She’s been a huge advocate for the Democratic Party candidates from the beginning. The founder of the Happy Hippie Foundation has expressed her sadness for Clinton’s loss on Twitter. Furthermore, Cyrus had this to say in her video — “Hopefully we adjust and we accept everyone for who they are, and, so, Donald Trump, I accept you. This hurts to say, but I even accept you as President of the United States, and that’s fine, because, now, I want to be a hopeful hippie. I want to be hopeful that you will step in, too.” She is the perfect example of what not only Democrats, but everyone else, should follow.

The amount of times I’ve been called a racist, a bigot, a homophobe, or a sexist in the last however many days its been has been appalling. I know what I stand for. Not all Trump supporters stand for what I do, but to throw me (and others) into a gross generalization with the rest is blind ignorance. It is okay to be sad and express your sadness upon this election. It’s necessary. But to become nasty to your own friends and loved ones makes me upset for how divided we have become as a nation. To me, it makes more sense to unite in love, compassion, and benevolence than to just be downright disrespectful to one another. I would expect any other individual to value their personal friendships above anything else. 

To sum everything up, I understand why people are scared. Hillary Clinton really was the projected winner for awhile. I thought she was going to win as well. So when Donald Trump had all the odds against him and defied them all, people were confused, shocked, and scared. Scared because of what the public is fed about this man from the media. I’m not here to immediately convert anyone to Trump, but hear me out– yes, he’s the 45th president. Yes, you may be terrified for your life right now. But you know what the reality is? We have much more power than you think. There are so many platforms we can all use to have our voices be heard and we can all continue to fight for the continuous growth that America has already gained. We will keep growing. Whether you like him or not, please remember we are all Americans, and America represents the land of the free and home of the brave. We need to be brave in this time. We need to be strong. We need to unite. The people of America cannot be weak.

It’s up to us to save America, not the president. We have more power than we realize. But it starts with kindness and love. He is with you. I am with you. We will be okay.