I hate confrontation. I try my very best to avoid it. That is why I haven't said anything about the results of this presidential election on social media. I know many people who supported Trump and are very happy that last Tuesday he was made the President Elect of the United States. Tensions are running very high across the country right now, and I don't want to make that worse, but I also feel like I have to say something. I can't stay silent anymore.

The early morning hours of last Wednesday, I was sitting with my friends at school when the announcement was made that Donald Trump was the official Presidential Elect; Someone who ran on a platform of hate is going to become our president. He now represents what the United States is and stands for in the international community. I was proud to be represented internationally by Obama and his administration. That is not the case with Mr. Trump.

This election, and its result, broke my heart.

I am of the opinion that Mr. Trump ran a platform that was based totally and completely on hatred, and it breaks my heart that so many American's were able to stand behind and support that hatred so willingly. During his campaign, Mr. Trump made broad and damaging generalization about several minority groups. Despite this, millions of American's fully supported him from the beginning, buying into and supporting his hatred and spreading it further. And this makes me so so so sad for America.

For many Americans, this is a really challenging time. It's not disgruntled sore losers that are engaging in protests around the country currently. It goes far beyond that. What many people are experiencing right now is genuine fear. Fear for their safety, fear for the future of this country, fear for their way way of life and their quality of life, and that fear is not unfounded.

Children of immigrants are afraid that Mr. Trump is going to deport their parents and split up their families. Women are afraid of having the rights to their own body stripped away. The LGBTQIA+ community is terrified they will be stripped of their right to marry and that hate crimes against them will increase. Muslims and people of color are concerned for their safety and rights. Many disabled people fear they will loose their much needed insurance if Obamacare is repealed.

Now, several of these minority groups are terrified at the idea of an America in which Mr. Trump is the president; Several of the people who I love the most in my life are terrified, and living in fear of what will come next.

We are a nation founded on equality and acceptance of others and yet this country isn't the most accepting, and has systems in place that make society inherently unequal, even today. We may not be responsible for these systems, as they are deeply routed in this country's history, and many of us who benefit from them may not be aware of it, but we do. It is our job, however, to dismantle these systems once we become aware of them and try to right the wrongs of history. This election broke my heart because it proved to me that many American's are uninterested in even acknowledging the existence of these systems, let alone working towards a solution for them and working towards greater equality.

To the supporters of Mr. Trump: I wish I was a bigger person because then, maybe I would be able to congratulate you. But I am not, and I cannot. I do not support your candidate and I am not at all with the result of this election. Your candidate did not get the popular vote, which means that most of the country does not want Mr. Trump in the White House. Please be aware of this in the coming weeks, and realize that the largely peaceful protests that are happening and the acts of civil disobedience occurring presently throughout the country are a response to that. People aren't happy, and its their American right to protest and gather and voice their own opinion. It's freedom of speech; something that your candidate certainly exploited. Nonetheless, because of democratic system, he is President Elect and I realize there is little those who supported progressive change, rather than oppressive backtracking, can do about it now. I just want to say that I am sorry that you were so blindly led by a man whose lies appeared the truth because his voice was the loudest. I do hope that Mr. Trump will do everything in his power to help this country over the next four years, as his actions will soon affect us all.

I want to say this to those who are now living in fear of Mr. Trump, his presidency, and his supporters: All of your feelings are valid. Your heartbreak is valid. Your fear over the future and present uncertainty is valid. YOU are valid. You are deserve to be respected and treasured. Every single one of you are valuable and so so so loved by me and so many others. We will not give up. I, and so many other people, are standing by your side. I am with you and I support you. You are human and you deserve to be here. I, and so many others, want you here. Together, we will never stop fighting to make sure that you are always safe and that your rights are always protected. I fear the future of this country as well. I am very afraid of what is going to happen over the next four years. Now is the time that we have to stand together and fight against the overwhelming powers of hatred. We will never stop pushing for what's right. We will take care of each other and support each other during this really, really difficult time. Remember, we are so much stronger together, and love always trumps hate.