A few days ago I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to attend a Love Trumps Hate rally hosted by UNL’s Mexican American Student Association. I was a little nervous to attend, having seen a lot of violence happening at other rallies and such, and wasn’t interested in being involved with that. I went in not really knowing what to expect, but once I arrived I knew that all these people were rallying for was acceptance and love.

I was amazed by the amount of people who attended despite the bitter cold and strong wind. Their passion for standing up for what they believe in despite the weather, despite people calling them “cry babies,” despite everything else was inspiring.

They began by very adamantly stating that the purpose of this rally was not to protest the fact that Trump won the presidency, but instead to discuss how they can continue to overcome bigotry and hatred toward them based off race or sexuality. Speakers from many different cultures and backgrounds spoke on how their well-being has been threatened, and what can be done to rectify that. This included talking about safe places to go on campus, people to contact in the government to inquire about what they are planning on doing to protect the rights of minorities, and discussing how others can become better allies.

One significant thing that happened was when a group of guys walked past the crowd, staring and laughing, obviously belittling those attending. At one point, one of them stopped almost directly behind where the speakers were standing and yelled “Donald J. Trump!” at the top of his lungs. Despite his disrespect, not only for the meaning behind this outburst but also the fact that he interrupted one of the speakers, no one was upset. There was virtually no backlash, no angry murmurs from the crowd. In facts the most I saw was a few people smiling and shaking their heads, the way you would at a child throwing a fit. I believe that this showed maturity, and proved that their purpose was not to protest, or complain or whine, but to stand up for their rights.