Dear America,

Let's leave our political views at the door for a minute. Where we are right now is more than "just politics." It doesn't matter if you're on the left or on the right, it only matters if you're human. Humans don't treat each other differently based on the color of their skin. Humans don't degrade other humans to make themselves a little bit bigger. And humans definitely don't hate other humans based on their race/religion/sexuality/gender/beliefs.

Donald Trump is a racist, sexist, homophobic, hateful, and incredibly spiteful man and bully, and he's about to be the leader of our nation. This man goes against everything the United States of America was built on and has worked hard to preserve. He has shown nothing but hate and resistance during his campaign and, to be honest, throughout his entire life. He promotes sexual assault, denounces war heroes, discriminates based on race and ethnicity, and doesn't seem to understand the basic human construct of compassion. I fear that with a man like this in office, hateful language and actions will not only be socially acceptable, they will be a social norm. He is not representative of this country in any way, shape, or form and I'm appalled that we the people have chosen him as such. This is not the America our forefathers and leaders have worked diligently to create and transform. This is #notmypresident.

If you're a woman, if you're disabled, if you're Jewish or Muslim, if you're black, if you're an immigrant, if you're gay, if you're straight, if you have children, if you're simply human, you should be offended. Every one of us has been dismissed by Mr. Trump as dumb or incompetent and has been shown intolerance. I'll repeat it again: it doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican or somewhere in between, because this issue extends far beyond political views. We've all been collectively dehumanized by this man with all the talk but none of the action, and it amazes me that people in our country can simply brush that off and be okay with it. It's not okay, and it's not what we as a nation uphold and practice. I refuse to sit back and see my family, friends, and peers be crushed by the petty hand of Mr. Donald Trump.

I guess we all know the perils of our future president and realize the dire situation that we're in, so I won't continue to spell it out for you. While there is still an incredibly slim chance that the electoral college will cast their votes to reflect popular vote, I wouldn't bet on that to happen. There's no denying it now; our country is divided and we are at a crossroads. The question here is, how do you beat something so negative and so powerful?

Trump's campaign is built on fear, insecurity, and intolerance. But you know what? I still don't hate him or any of his supporters. There is an insecurity in all of them that has made them fearful and vulnerable, allowing them to succumb to something so horrific. The way out of this is through compassion. We must show compassion for one another, for we are all suffering the same loss. We must show compassion for those who have been put down and invalidated, for they matter just as much as we do. We must show compassion for those with hate in their hearts for they are suffering just as much, if not more, than the rest of us.

You can't fight fire with fire, everything will eventually get burned. The only way to beat intense hate is with love that's equally as strong. Hate is not born into us, it is something that is taught or passed down through culture. Love, on the other hand, exists within each and every one of us from the first moment of our lives. It can be diminished, or it can be cultivated to grow into something deeper. We cannot express hate and intolerance to our generations and those to come; this is not the America I was so lucky to grow up in, and it's not the America that I want to live in. What can we do to make sure it isn't?

We could protest, but how effective would that be? Assembly is only productive when it stems from peace and love, as we have learned from Dr. King. With this sentiment of unrest across the nation, it is too easy for peaceful protests to turn violent and hateful, lowering those involved to the same level as that which they are protesting against. If you're going to march, remember love. Remember peace. Respect the views of others even if you don't agree with them, because you could learn something from them nonetheless. Let your voice be heard, but don't put others down to make it right. Protest because you want to raise awareness and make a difference, not because you think it's an acceptable place for hate.

Rise above and every single day, choose love. Be compassionate towards those with hate in their hearts and reach out a hand to them. Fill them with the love in you in hopes that we can all begin to understand each other. To change the world, you must first grow stronger as an individual because change starts within. The way we beat this is to surmount it. In times of prosperity we love each other, so why would that change in times of turmoil? We need each other now more than ever, to lift each other up and provide support and community. We're all in this together, and we will continue to be. I know that we are good, caring people, but some of us have gone down the wrong path. Let's get them back on the right track and begin to grow and love individually and collectively. We all matter and we all need our voices to be heard in a respectful, productive manner. Let's get back to square one and practice what we need to preach: love, compassion, unity, and peace. As my brother once told me, "..the way you beat those sort of people is with kindness. Kill em with it." Let's do this the right way and breed understanding and peace. I believe in you, America. Just do me a favor and believe in yourself.