I will never forget that crisp, Wednesday morning, the day after the 2016 presidential election. I felt as though I was in a state of shock, one of disbelief, one of anger, and one of confusion. I had so many looming questions.
How could this man have possibly be elected to represent a nation of 325 million individuals who hail from such diverse backgrounds?
How could this man have won after creating a campaign purely run on bigotry, hatred, and fear?
I will never forget the wave of emotions that rushed over me as I decided to face that day. I was angry to have to acknowledge how many Americans shared his sentiments. I was sad for the people who would fear how their day to day lives would drastically be changed. I was not at all hopeful for the future.
I woke up feeling numb. The night before I had gone to sleep before I could face the reality of the inevitable outcome. I wanted to avoid any reality where he would be known as "the leader of the free world."
As I walked in two bells late, I was still numb. Never in my life had I felt as devastated as I had on that Wednesday morning. I knew the fabric of our nation was changing rapidly by the second, and I knew that our history was being altered. Not just because he was a "businessman" or because he is "unconventional" but because no other political candidates in modern history had so blatantly alienated, threatened, and offended so many minority groups.
I walked into my high school that morning, and the air just felt different. The environment seemed to be buzzing, sadly, of excitement. I had never more resented the town I grew up, a town which ultimately served as a breeding ground for such closed minded views. I will not ever forget how I felt when these two girls who I thought were my friends started celebrating in the middle of class, announcing that they were so elated because of the results and that they could only imagine what our country would be if "she" was elected.
I opted out of going to the cafeteria that day. I did not want to face my peers and classmates, as so many of them supported this offensive and repulsive candidate and campaign, saying this was what would make America great again. Even today, I truly cannot fathom what an awful feeling it must be to believe that our nation would be better without so many of the individuals and identities that already make it great.
Those views do not make you patriotic. They do not make you progressive. They make you ignorant.
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Two years ago at this time, I was devastated. I was afraid. I was hopeless. Now, I have a fire ignited in my soul which has carried me through these last two years. I have never been more hopeful for the future of this country. I have seen so many compassionate and passionate individuals who dream of the same America I do. A united America which celebrates our beautiful identities and encourages kindness and progression.
If the 2016 election showed us anything, it is that there is not a better time to be civically engaged than right now. Now is not the time for blissful ignorance and choosing to ignore the news. Now is the time to be informed and to be enraged at our basic liberties being threatened. Now is the time to vote.
If you love this country and the freedoms it advocates for, then I suggest you head to the polls on November 6th.
