So in case you all forgot, people are people and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter if they voted for Hilary, or Trump, or a third party candidate. I am awestruck at the miniscule level of maturity and empathy that people have been showing lately. It baffles me that people of all colors, shapes, and sizes are attacking each other in the streets, for using their constitutional right to vote. No matter who you chose, a vote does not define you as a person.

We all have the same basic wants: we want healthy food on our tables, a safe place to live, the chance for opportunity, and most of all, a brighter future. When we vote, we try to pick the candidate that will give us the best chance of getting our wants. Do we always agree which candidate can give us these wants, absolutely not. If we all agreed which candidate could do the best for each and every one of us, we would not have an election.

That being said, in times like these showing love, compassion, and understanding is more important then ever. I was always taught to treat others, as you would want to be treated. Let me tell you, it is considered the golden rule for a reason. It is a lot harder to calmly and peacefully work your issues out with someone, than it is to scream at some one. You can talk all you want, but people will not listen if all you do is yell. I challenge you to open your eyes, ears, and hearts to other people's opinions, even if they are not your own. Compassion is the key to understanding. But it is not just compassion that allows us to succeed in change. If one wants change, he or she needs to be that change. Become a role model, and earn the respect of others. That's right, I said earn respect. Respect can be given, or taken depending on how someone acts. I gauge respect on how someone acts toward his or her worst enemy. If someone is cruel to an adversary, he or she is no better than the adversary is. In order for life to get better, we need to be better. We need to be more understanding and kind, rather than angry and spiteful. I have hope that we can do this as educated citizens of the United States.

How you act can also show your level of maturity. As I can hope, we are all adults. Being an adult to me, means dealing with the consequences of your actions. If you choose to unfriend someone on social media because of his or her beliefs, I am sorry to tell you that your level of maturity is very low. Yes, I understand that it is annoying to see a plethora of political ideals on your news feed, but it is election season and will subside, so get over it. When you block someone with different views than you, you become closed off. In a sense, this makes you ignorant for being set in your ways. When doing research, it is important to look at both sides, and respect differing opinions. I fully believe everyone is capable of this level of understanding.

Lastly, please remember this is a terrifying time for all of us, though some more than others. We do not know what is coming next. I would love to be able to tell everyone everything will be ok, but I cannot. I should not even, because what is ok for me might not be ok for someone else.

A single vote does not define who you are as a person. If you voted for Trump, you may not be a racist bigot. If you voted for Hilary, you may not support unaccountability and white collar crime. If you voted for a third party, it does not mean you wanted to throw away your vote. We all did the best we could in the shittiest election I have ever seen. Let us learn and move on from it.