On the morning of November 9th, I woke up in a different country - a country that elected a man I don’t consider to be my president. A country that has implicitly accepted the norms of misogyny, racism, sexism, and xenophobia. A country that I’m having trouble associating with. A country that has disappointed me. I went to sleep the night before in defeat as many of the hopes I had envisioned for this country had disappeared among electoral votes and popularity polls. That morning I woke up with a heavy heart. I woke up concerned about the course of America’s future and above all concerned for those who have been targeted all throughout this election season and even before.

The majority of people are reacting and are placing an emphasis on the social ramifications that the results of this election will have on minorities and targeted individuals, and in my opinion, that is the most pressing of the effects we will unfortunately see throughout the next 4 years. But to simply dismiss the importance of this outcome and to standby idly would be to give in.

Apart from social injustice, economics will feel the consequences of this election as well. Economics is something people tend to overlook and with reason - especially with all the hateful rhetoric that has been circulating recently. Economic factors have driven many Americans to vote the way they did and taking the time to look into these factors can help to understand what went through peoples' minds in the voting booths.

At this point, regardless of one's feelings towards the outcome of the election, the only thing we can do is exert our right to free speech and make sure our voices are heard. That morning of November 9th, I woke up with an overwhelming feeling of wanting to do something for the sake of those who are being oppressed and overall for the sake of humanity. As a product of my experiences and what I've learned over the years, I feel obligated to act and I refuse to remain silent. I hope my generation acts on the courage I know they have and I hope they realize what is at stake. No one will fight your battles for you.