I have been sitting here wondering what I could write or what I could say about the outcome of this election. It’s safe to say that literally no one was expecting this. Honestly, I am in still in shock. Part of me has wanted to react in anger, but I am beginning to realize that this will not do any good. Spreading more hate and fear around will just increase the negativity that our country is feeling today. I understand that so many are angry, and for those of you who are, you have every right to be.

However, I fear that we are using this anger in the wrong way. All I have seen on Facebook this past week are messages of hate towards our fellow human beings. I see many people saying that they will refuse to be friends with anyone who voted for Trump and that anyone who did must certainly lack any sort of morals. I see many people criticizing those who voted for third parties, that they are terrible for not picking one side or the other. I see people gloating about Trump winning and saying that those who supported Hilary need to grow up. I see hate coming from ALL directions and parties and it needs to end.

Trump ran a campaign full of hate and we don’t need to be the ones to continue this on. If we do so, then are we really any better than the president-elect himself? No, we aren’t. We are dividing ourselves during a time when our entire country needs to be united. We cannot stoop to that kind of level. What we need to do is rise up and enact change in our own communities. I believe that if we start small, the kindness and love we spread will go much further.

I am already starting to see it happen on my own college campus. We have a campaign called “Unlearn Fear + Hate” going on here at Transylvania University. This project uses art to help people to unlearn prejudice and fear (Read more about the project here). These are the kinds of things that we need to adamantly support during these difficult times. We need to use our anger to empower ourselves to spread justice, peace, acceptance, kindness, and love to those around us.

I genuinely believe that there is good inside every human being. I believe that everyone deserves compassion and kindness. I believe that everyone deserves dignity and respect. I believe that if we put an end to all this prejudice, we can actually be a changing and empowering force in our nation. I believe that EVERYONE has the potential to do this, no matter where they come from, what their ethnicity is, what their gender is, what their sexuality is or who they voted for. We need to have faith in ourselves that we will not let injustice prevail because we are ALL good people.

I will end here with a quote from one of my favorite literary characters of all time: Sirius Black

It is up to you now. Will you choose fear and hate or will you choose peace and love?