With Trump inaugurated it is hard to have hope for this country. We’ve enlisted an unstable man to lead the free world as we know it.

In his inaugural address, many news sources noted how dark his words were. The classically hopeful speech resembled nothing of the sort. The nation looked for hope and was greeted with yet another instance for mistrust and fear.

With millions of protesters on the streets, we can only hope that our voice is heard and our power feared by the new elites. I will not relinquish my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this country—and neither should you.

I implore you to remember your voice is worth something. Your vote, your opinions and your rights matter. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

No matter what happens during this leadership, no one can take away your power, so please stay strong and try to find hope moving forward.

I hope, if nothing else, this election has inspired mass interest in the political process. I hope it reminds people to stay informed, move away from complacency and believe in their own agency and ability to take part in the democratic process—because it is your right and civic duty to elect people who will serve you and this country.

I understand if you feel dejected and ill-used by the systems that be, trust me, I do as well. But I challenge you to empower yourself to participate, interact, learn, and educate yourself in the workings of your local, state and federal government. The beautiful part of a representative democracy is that you get to say who best represents you and your values. You dictate who makes the law and who will choose the best course of action on your behalf. Take hope in your own ability to see right from wrong and the direction you want to see the nation moving towards.

Trump may have different values and ideas than the majority of the U.S., but he can’t silence us. He cannot take away our voice. He may work against us, make our lives more difficult, and try to reduce the people we love to less than what they deserve, but as long as we remain strong and vigilant, there’s no way we the people can fail.

I believe in you and I believe in us. Take heart, take faith, and find the hope in a turbulent time.