As an American – and most importantly a human being – I cannot be the only one who feels disheartened after Donald Trump took office less than two weeks ago. However, the issue does not lie exclusively with who our new President is (whether I support him or not), but lies within the utter hatred toward each other illustrated by so many throughout the country. While most of us were ready for the election to be over so the finger pointing would stop, it became evident that the storm was just beginning. It seems as though most of us are experts on foreign policy, economics and differentiating cultural backgrounds. If that is rightly the case, I cannot wait to witness how millions of campaigns for the 2020 Presidential Election play out.

If we as a whole country could look at each other as human beings rather than stamping an affiliation to a political party, race or religion on foreheads like a hot branding tool, imagine what we could accomplish internationally. For a country that claims to be the best in the world, it is imperative that we act like it and set an example for what freedom really is instead of chastising your neighbors for exercising their rights for the sole reason that you disagree. Why would anyone believe America is truly the land of opportunity and freedom when too many of its citizens fear they will be ostracized or shunned by family and friends for how they feel? When did the pigment in someone’s skin, who a person chooses to pray to or who a person supports as a fundamental and political representative make one human better than another?

Unfortunately, fear is real. But it is purely unfair to fear those who oppose your views. Hate stems from fear, and that is a fact. However, guess what? All Americans believe they are right. Just because their “right” is your “wrong” does not give you a logical reason to spew sheer hatred; the freedom, of course…but not the audacity to put yourself on a pedestal and point fingers at others to make them feel inferior just for having their own opinions. The beauty of America is that we have the freedom to say and believe what we wish to. However, the double-edged sword of America is that we have the freedom to publicly despise what and who we do not agree with or what and who we fear thanks to a tiny percentage of radicalized people. The real danger lies within our own borders when we cut each other down for being “wrong."

Be proud that billions of humans see America as their Heaven on Earth and we are privileged enough to be a part of it. What gives anyone the right to deny safety and opportunity to others who seek a life without poverty, to gain an education, to provide the opportunity to earn for a family and not fear their lives could be taken away at any moment? Let’s start setting an example for people all over the globe to really prove ourselves to be the best country in the world instead of dividing ourselves into a civil war zone.