I don’t understand how a country that has been filled with love has put hate in the White House.

I don’t understand how a country that has worked so hard to be equal has shattered that dream.

I don’t understand how we went from an African American president to one that has been endorsed by the KKK and hates many people of color.

And I don’t understand how anyone that is a person of color, a woman, Muslim, Jewish, part of the LGBTQ+ community, or disabled could vote for a man that blatantly made fun of them all.

I don’t understand how this happened.

Today, November 9, 2016, marks a day many of us will not forget. Today, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, a sentence many of us didn’t think we would ever say.

Today, the stock market took a hit when DOW Jones fell more than 800 points when Trump took the lead in the race.

Today, riots broke out when Trump was elected President.

Today, America was let down.

Today, I learned who a handful the people I called “friends” were actually racist, misogynistic, homophobic, rude, full of hate, and so many other things.

Today, I learned that my own father was happy to have a man who doesn’t respect women in office, even though he has two lovely daughters in this world, one who is part of the LGBTQ+ community and one who is an ally to them.

Today I learned that my sister, who is in fact, part of the LGBTQ+ community wanted Trump to win, and I don’t understand why, especially since she is also a woman.

I don’t understand, and will never understand, why “Women for Trump” exists.

I don’t understand how POC could vote for a man who terrorized them, but many of them did.

I don’t understand how America can be made “great” again if Donald Trump’s version of “great” includes racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, hatred, and instilling fear to Americans who are not straight, white, men.

I don’t understand this country and I don’t understand how we thought there was love here. The love was fake and used to mask the hate many held inside.

I stayed up all night in my college’s radio station helping to live broadcast the election. I gave information to a runner about who took which state and who was ahead in the electoral votes. It was a close race, but a majority of the time, Trump was ahead. That is the part that scares me the most. He was ahead most of the election night, and that was when I saw the true colors of many come out. That was when I lost hope in this country. And that was when fear was instilled in me that I may lose some, if not most, of my rights as a woman.

I am watching many of my friends cry and fear for their lives as they go out today, and every day, for the next four years, because there is now a thought instilled in Americans that hate is OK. That POC, LGBTQ+, women, Muslims, Jews, and the disabled are less than straight, white, men.

"Welcome to Nazi America! Home of the free and the scared."

My father didn’t understand why I wanted “a liar” to win. Well, to that I have to say that I’d rather a liar be president than someone who makes me fear that I will lose my rights. And I am sure many others stand with me on that.

Congratulations, America — here is to four years full of hatred and fear, and a lifetime of consequences to follow.