I don’t want to pretend like anyone is asking for my opinion on this election. I don’t want to come across as a preachy or close-minded. But I also don’t want to silence myself. People are going to disagree with me, and people are going to completely disregard everything that I’m saying. But that is their right. Mine is to speak and to hopefully be heard by those who share my concerns.

After Trump was elected president, I found myself at a loss for words (and as a writer, words are pretty much all I have). I made myself go to sleep early Tuesday night because I didn’t want to watch him gain more and more ground. I didn’t want to see him win. And when I woke up the next morning, all I could think was, what does this mean for my country?

Donald Trump ran his campaign on a platform that fostered hate. He worked with people’s fear of the unknown and of change, and made them believe he would bring back the America of the past, making America “great again.” He led people to hate, and to hate loudly. He gave his supporters a pass to act on their prejudices without hesitation because they all believed Trump would agree with those actions. He was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. If that doesn’t convince you of the hate surrounding his campaign, I’m not sure what will.

If you know me, you’ve probably heard me mention how much I hate people. I never mean ii seriously, but mostly to say that I object to someone’s actions or they way people treat one another. In light of Trump’s win, I’m reminded of this hate. Now that Donald Trump is our president-elect, people are acting as though that gives them the right to hate and to discriminate. And believe me, I want to hate too. I want to hate the Trump voters. I want to hate the racists and the sexists and the homophobes. I want to hate the people that made my friends fear for their safety and the safety of their friends and families. But with so much hate already being exposed and flamed right now, my attentions would be better utilized focusing on those I love.

When Donald Trump was winning the election, I texted my mom and asked her, “What do we do if Trump wins?” You can say this is overdramatic, but I was (and still am) legitimately worried about how his presidency would change society. The next morning, she told me, “You go on fighting for truth and justice and believe in good people and LOVE the uniformed but above all do something to change things.” It’s important now more than ever to support those around us and love one another in a world that is just asking us to hate. We have to come together and provide for one another by supporting our communities and the organizations that protect our rights. We have to do our part to make sure that Trump’s presidency isn’t just one of fear and hate. There has to be more to our America than all of the prejudice we’re seeing right now because I want my nephews to grow up in a world of love and acceptance, not one of exclusion.

I know hashtags like #NotMyPresident and #NotMyAmerica are trending right now, but Trump is our president and this is our America. Our job is to make sure we leave it better than we found it, despite all the obstacles in our way. Our job is to use our voices because we can never be silenced.