Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week you know that the recent election of Donald J. Trump has caused quite the stir among the American people. It doesn't matter what side you may be on because the outcome is the same; things are changing.
Some people have been quite confused with Trump post-election because his 100-day plan really doesn't seem that bad. On the contrary, liberals and Democrats agree with most of it! While that does show some promise for the future, one thing has remained the same throughout his campaign. Trump has undoubtedly spouted very hateful rhetoric about women and minorities. So what does this mean for the American people?
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Let's take this from a different perspective. Imagine that you are like me: a minority (Korean, to be exact) and a woman. This election proves to a person like me that things are not quite right when America puts a person who uses mysogynistic and racist rhetoric as the Commander in Chief.
There has undoubtedly been a rise in hate crimes sense Trump's election that has been affecting people across the nation. People who were quietly racist before have found the courage to use Trump's narrative as a reason to be outwardly racist and sexist. While most of Trump's hate has been aimed towards Muslims, no minority is "safe."
Upon listening to people, they believe that most of the hate would be aimed at Muslims or African-Americans in big cities. Lo and behold, however, my usually quiet and kind college town of West Virginia University has been touched by this hate filled movement. Just walking to a club meeting at night I encountered a guy in a big, silver truck with a Trump flag proudly swaying. While this is fine, he took the time to slow his truck down and stare directly at me before zooming off again. Not only does it scare me to walk around at night as a woman, now I have to be in fear because I'm not white.
Not only this but groups of people, usually just out for a night of drinking, were chanting racist things on their ways to party and glorifying Trump's hate rhetoric. If this doesn't scare you, then I implore you to think about your family and loved ones who don't fit into the white, straight, male role. They are in danger of being discriminated against and now they walk around in fear of being abused or harassed in any number of ways because America has allowed hate to make it's way into our culture once again.
While Trump has yet to be inaugurated and he could prove to really "Make America Great Again," it still is up to us to not accept this hate for POC, women, LGBT, or any other group that needs love right now. The only way to make us great again is learn to accept and respect each other no matter what.
