This past year has caused such turmoil and divide amongst the people in our country, I have seen and heard many disheartening things, but I still have hope. It is difficult not to talk about the presidential election but it is also difficult because saying anything about it is a slippery slope. Depending on your individual viewpoint, you are either happy or disappointed with the outcome of the election and as a citizen of the U.S. you are entitled to your opinions.

Depending on your stance you may be celebrating or protesting in the streets, and you are entitled to that since you are an American citizen. But if these activities find you targeting people based on their religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, or their political opinion to the point of verbal and physical abuse, you are wrong and not allowed behave in such a way because you are a U.S. citizen.

The statement above stands for all citizens of this country, because it is part of the laws that restrict crime which also protect our freedoms. I believe everyone is entitled to do as they please as long as they don't harm someone, but some individuals feel like the rules no longer apply after this election, and this stands as a statement for both sides.

I have seen images of racial slurs painted on people's properties, verbal threats made to Muslim women wearing hijabs, and a dorm room divided by a makeshift wall. But I have also seen a video of an old man being ripped out of his car and beaten by a group of people because he voted for Trump. All of these occurrences are alarming and sickeningly wrong, and just because this election was so different than in years prior doesn't give such terrible actions consent.

As someone who is friend with both Clinton and Trump supporters, it breaks my heart to think that just because of personal preferences it is believed that we could not get along. We can't generalize each other because we are all individuals with different mind sets and points of view. The best we can do is respect each other because we live in a country where "united" is in the title.

Unite to fight for what you believe in, but aim to do so in a positive way, don't let your opinion turn you into something you are fighting against, and don't let other's actions represent the masses, know that not everyone who is a republican is racist, and that not everyone who is a democrat is lazy. After this crazy time we should take a step back, take a deep breath and do what we do best... stay united.