To whom it may concern,

As I sit here writing this letter to you, there are only two things I am certain of at this very moment:

• This upcoming January, Donald Trump will be sworn into office as the next President of the United States.
• There are so many people right now that are genuinely fearful for what is in store during these next four years – I am one of those people.

I sit at my laptop in horror and watch as the nation rapidly divides itself.

Riots are being held, flags are being burned, and those that voted Donald Trump into his soon-to-be role as President have already begun spewing hatred towards women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community. They think it is okay to do so because this is what our president elect has been promoting during his entire time on the campaign trail. Not only this, but those that voted for Hillary are verbally attacking Trump supporters on social media websites, vulgarly expressing their opinion of the election results.

It has only been 24 hours since the official announcement.

If I’m being honest, I’m scared. I’m scared that all the hard work that has been put into this country during the last 8 years will be undone – and undone quickly. I’m scared that the United States may face many ugly and unjust situations that will cause the citizens of our nation to feel anger at calling this place home anymore. I’m scared that we may get to a point in which we are so stricken by fear that we cannot speak our minds.

I have been trying ceaselessly to look at the turnouts of this election with a positive mind, but I am afraid of the potential reign of terror that we are about to endure.

As a woman, I know that we have faced many hardships before and that throughout history we have been fighting towards equality for all. We have been striving to be seen, not as sexual objects, but as powerful, confident women who can do everything (and more) a man can do. I do not believe that Donald Trump endorses this idea.

Through seeing Hillary run and get as far as she did, she has inspired women not just in the United States, but all the women in the world to break through our own glass ceilings and reach for the stars. Through her, it is made clear that no opportunity is “just for men”.

While many may not have liked her, she promoted a campaign of diversity and inclusiveness. She promoted a campaign of love.

I don’t, nor have I ever, felt this when listening to Donald Trump express the ideas of his campaign.

To anyone reading this that is feeling frightened for the future: we are most likely in for a tough 4 years. While this is true, I offer you this piece of advice in the nicest way possible: gear up. Gear up in the sense that now more than ever, we need to fight to maintain our current rights. They could be taken away at any moment. This is something I and my fellow citizens will not stand for.

No matter what happens in these next four years, remember this: love will be the most powerful cure in this dark time. While it may be hard to express to all, it is what America needs right now.

Regardless of who you voted for, hug one another right now. Embrace and remember that we are all individuals from different backgrounds that have different ideas. Never hate. We are a nation in which hate should not be tolerated.

Never be afraid to express who you are or what you stand for because doing so does not represent the original ideas of America.

Through being true to ourselves and fighting to maintain that right, we can truly make America great again.

Sincerely,

A hopeful American