We can all agree that the 2016 election was anything but ordinary. It brought out the worst in all of us and I hope, in the end, it can bring out the best. From politicians to your average citizen, this election wasn't pretty.
November 8th, we all ran to the polls and exercised our right for our chosen candidate. Neither candidate was one I loved, but I chose the one who I found to be the lesser of two evils. Some agree with this logic, some don't. You're welcome to vote third party or to not vote at all, but for the simple fact that voting is a privilege, I hope you did choose to vote.
We all waited with baited breath come Tuesday night. Who would win? Would she sweep it? Would he? Would we know who was president by 9pm? My mind was racing as I sat in my living room with my parents. Refreshing Google, switching between FOX, CNN and NBC. It was a nerve-wracking, stomach turning evening. And it was just beginning.
The world literally sat in shock as Donald Trump claimed Kentucky and then North Carolina and soon following Ohio. Later when the swing state of Florida was called, tears were being shed all over my social media. No one could believe it. Was this really happening? Was Donald J. Trump truly winning the election?
I stayed up until 4 a.m. that Tuesday. Waiting, praying, and truly in utter disbelief. Watching it all unfold, I was amazed at our democracy. It truly is We the People. At around 3am, they called Wisconsin for Trump…and that was it. The magical number of 270 was reached and he was our new President-elect. Some people cried, some people rejoiced, and some people like me just sat there, mouth open. Totally shocked at what had just unfolded. Donald Trump is going to be our president. It flashed across the screens and Facebook and all of the in-betweens.
The next day followed with a lot of angry people who began posting how mad they were, how scared they were and saying that Donald Trump was #NotMyPresident. It truly infuriated me. I was raised to respect authority, whatever that looked like. He is our upcoming commander in chief. He is an authoritative figure and we need to respect that. Wholeheartedly.
Here's the thing. We the People spoke. We voted. We the People made our stand for the candidate we saw fit. Because of that Donald J. Trump will take office in 2017. He will be our new president.
See, the problem with #NotMyPresident is this; You are justified in being upset. You are justified in being elated. You are justified in whatever your feelings may be. But at the end of the day, Donald Trump will take office on January 20, 2017. So we need to respect that. Our decision was made on Tuesday. We need to accept that and respect it. We need to respect that our fellow Americans voted for this man and because of that he is our president-elect. We need to respect him. We need to be on our knees praying for him, for our country, and for our fellow Americans. Wishing bad on the leader of this country is not going to get us anywhere.
The truth is, America is not a man in an oval office. It never has been. America is you and I. It is the people. We are America and we get to decide how to respond. America is how we choose to get up, show up, and love the heck out of each other. We can be angry and we can throw stones and pitch all of the fits in the world, but that isn't gonna solve anything. We get to choose how we respond. I hope that we choose to respond in love. That we show grace and kindness. It's on US to be the change. It is on our shoulders to make OUR America better, safer, and kinder.
It's not on Donald Trump. It's on us. It always has been.
