Dear America,

Incase you missed it, on November 8th, 2016, we elected our 45th president, Donald J. Trump. I never thought I would witness a television personality and business man be named the President of the United States of America. This election is proof that anyone can truly become ruler of the free world. This election has made history. This is the first time a female was the Democratic Nominee for the presidential race. This is also the first time in 60 years that someone will hold the title of president that has never had experience as a governor or as a member of Congress. The amount of firsts that came with this election are quite extensive to say the least.

There are may people who have expressed their fears about where this country is going. Tears have been shed in light of who has been elected to represent our country. What I cannot wrap my head around is why Americans are telling other Americans that they have not right to be scared or worried or upset. They are saying that people are overreacting. Notice I am saying Americans. I am not grouping people into political parties. Putting classifications aside we are first and foremost human. We have the ability to feel and feel deeply about all sorts of issues. We are also all Americans. During every single election season we segregate ourselves from one another due to our beliefs. We call each other names. We preach how uneducated our family, friends and even strangers are when they do not agree with our views. We call each other ignorant. We say things like “be quiet because you don’t know what you are talking about.” What happened to having educated discussions and being respectful? Have you ever thought that maybe someone is asking “why?” to just try and better understand where both sides are coming from? Not everything is meant to be an attack. Americans are just passionate and we have the right to be.

On the issue of Republicans being labeled as racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, homophobic, sexist or any other derogatory generalization, not all Republicans are. To my fellow American family and friends that are Republican, there are many people who identify as Republicans that have very openly and very aggressively shared their hatred for different races, religions, sexualities and genders. This hate is the thing that makes people uneasy. Trump has made some very politically and socially incorrect statements that unfortunately reflect poorly on the Republican party because he is the spokesperson for it. I would also like to say, not all republicans are as extreme as the other. There are very conservative Republicans but there are also Republicans that are less conservative and may even lean slightly left on some issues. Same can be said for the Democrats in our nation. This is why our government has been able to survive for as long as we have. Having a little bit of every way of thinking in one place has gotten us to where we are today in terms of this country’s development socially, politically and economically.

The shock of this elections is quite extensive and it what people are feeling right now. However, we need to remember that our government is not solely dependent on our Executive Branch. We do have a checks and balance system for a reason. We still have the Legislative and Judicial branch to help mediate conversations in Washington. Okay, yes, both Legislative and Judicial branches will sway more conservative with Trump and that is fine. We have survived a Republican dominant Congress and extremely conservative Supreme Court Justices before. Remember there are many countries that could only ever dream of having this kind of government so do not underestimate the power of our Republic. It is fundamental that Americans practice respect and sensitivity of this whole election. This is a huge change for America just like any change in any part of the world. It is like a fresh wound, it hurts and people are trying to understand what happened/ how this happened.

The important thing to remember is November 8th has come and gone. There is nothing we can do about the results. People are upset, people are scared and people are disappointed. This feeling might stay around a bit longer than expected. Americans have every right to have these feelings based on the way Donald Trump ran his campaign and how he talked about individuals and groups of people. Campaigns are a way to grab and hook voters. There are always promises that are never kept and there are things that simply do not pass through Congress. The fact of the matter is, we don’t know anything yet. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone in the next 4 years. If Donald Trump has taught us anything, he has taught us that he is completely unpredictable. As humans, we have this natural urgency to know everything and understand every detail. The truth is there is no way we can possibly predict how the next four years will play out. We just have to take it day by day.

This letter is a call for unity. My good friend said it best, “yesterday we were red and blue and today we are red white and blue so let’s stand together.” We have to start opening up respectful conversations about our differences. We need to listen to what others are saying on both sides. We cannot just respond without truly thinking about the others persons views. Americans should not feel ashamed to believe in the things we believe in but we need to open a dialogue where we can talk about the hard and controversial topics. We as americans are going to be the ones to break this country if we do not start accepting the state that we are in right now. Continue to fight for what you believe in. Speak up and let your voice be heard among the crowd. It takes one ripple to make a change. Stay passionate. Practice sensitivity and patience. Be kind. Let’s stand as one American.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world…”— Mahatma Gandhi

With love,

A Proud American