Believe it or not, the election only happened less than two weeks ago. The riots and protesting that occurred as a result of the election occurred about a week ago. What has happened to all the conversation and media coverage surrounding Donald Trump's presidency? Although not all of it has died down, people are not talking and participating in a large amount of post-election debates. Many people seemed extremely angered and displeased with Trump's win, do they support his cause now? If not, why isn't the conversation still spreading throughout the United States and the world?

In my opinion, the riots and protests that took place following the election on November 8 were a bit excessive. However, I am not condemning those that participated in them as they have the Constitutional right to speak their mind. With this being said, there is nothing more one can do to change Trump's role as the President of the United States, so what is the purpose in using your time, something many individuals complain there is not enough of, to demonstrate? As I am neither a Trump nor Hillary supporter, I think that America can truly learn from this critical election. Hillary had far more supporters, as evident in her popular vote victory. Nonetheless, this was one of the lowest voter turnouts for a presidential election on November 8th. This election taught those that feel strongly about a candidate to make sure they go to the polls and cast their vote as it not only can help ensure a victory for their desired candidate but it can also improve voter efficiency among the American public.

The media has provided the American people and the world, a way to view everything the candidates, President, congressional members, celebrities, etc., are doing. The media immediately followed up on the reactions of the general public, but since then has diverged to cover other topics. This past election is one that will forever change the face of American politics. How can the media stop covering the important occurrences in our society, such as this election? Does anyone actually care about what happened in the new episode of Keeping up With the Kardashians or The Real Housewives?

This is one reason why the voter turnout was so low. Media has a large influence over people and although it seemed to fill your Facebook wall and local news shows for months, a great number of individuals still did not pay attention. There needs to be a larger number of people showing up to the polls to vote in order for the majority of the country to have a say in the government. If people do not vote, they have no reason to go onto the streets of major cities such as New York and Portland and protest against the new president. If you choose to demonstrate against Trump, I hope that you utilized one of the many freedoms America offers its citizens, the right to vote, as we are fortunate enough to have this right. If you do not go out and vote, in my opinion, stop protesting. These people that refuse to vote or "don't have the time" to vote are the reason many Americans see the government as a corrupt body. If more and more citizens voted, they would have a larger say in the politics of our country, creating the possibility to eliminate corruption and the power to enact meaningful legislation.

So, if this election taught the American public anything, it would be to go out and vote for presidential and congressional elections. Those that are eligible to vote play a large role in the government in the United States, so exercise that power to its utmost potential as it can have a lasting difference on the structure of politics in America for the years to come. You have the right to protest or demonstrate, but there is no reason to join these riots if you didn't vote. If you chose to vote and are still trying to protest, try to gain media attention as the media has been malfunctioning and not been covering the parts of our society that have an effect on our everyday life. Although the future seems unclear for America, we can only continue to make a difference in our nation by making our voices heard by utilizing our right to vote and assemble peacefully.