It’s sufficient to say that at this point in the election campaign, with just little less than a month remaining, it’s safe to do a little reflection of this election year and just how much it has gotten Americans absolutely riled up. This election, from the start, was not something that we wanted to proudly display to the world. And no, I’m not just talking about Donald Trump—actually, I’m not talking about either of the nominees; I’m talking about the American people. Politics always riled people up, it’s one of those topics that are so sensitive that in schools, we don’t even bother discussing about it. Because each of us all have the right to believe in whatever we believed in and support that, it was fine if other people didn’t support the same cause—you respected different perspectives. But this election was different, people were so charged with anger and hostility towards the opposing campaign that it completely divided the American people against one another. But the American people don’t have anything to blame, not anything—not politics, not Obama, not terrorists, not economy—but themselves.

I agree, both candidates have their fair share of major problems; Hillary Clinton came under fire because of inadequate response to the attack on U.S embassy in Benghazi, Libya when she was Secretary of State, and her private email prompted an FBI investigation in the middle of the campaign. Then there is a plethora of other disturbing allegations against Clinton that, while unproven, is enough to detract the American voters. That’s fine. Or it would’ve been fine if the Republicans churned out someone better. Donald Trump definitely hit accordance with those who were tired of traditional politicians, the sort of ones who shut down Capitol Hill because they couldn’t negotiate with each other--despite the fact that that is why they got elected in the first place. He was supposed to be the outsider who came in and storm the problematic D.C political system, but when that storming involves mongering fear, prejudice, bigotry and sexism amongst other things as the nominee for president of United States of America, it’s not okay. Let’s be honest just for a second, these candidates have so many problems, we shouldn’t really like either of them. But if you say that anywhere, chances are you are going to have a red-eyed Clinton/Trump supporter who thinks it’s their dying duty to defend their candidate to the ends of the Earth.

We got so consumed by the name-calling and hostility in the current election that we let go of what it meant to be American; proud, dignified, tolerant, accepting and respectful. We have become so convinced that America has been dragged through the mud that we feel like we are in need of some kind of a savior, when in reality we are coming out of recovery from the worst economic fall in recent history. Yes, America is not where it used to be, but slowly but surely, we are getting there. We all want to feel safe, and it’s true, recent terror attacks by ISIS have left us all shocked and even fearful of our national security, but we have to stop pretending to ourselves that whoever gets elected next is going to instantaneously eradicate ISIS. Let us not deny ourselves; we are at war, the United States of America, whether or not you have that “I’m already against the next war” bumper sticker, is fighting the war against radical Islamist terrorists and against the racial divide, just to name many issues that the next president will have to tackle. War has casualties, war has destruction, and we have to be prepared to take that cost even though we might not want to. No one does. But it still remains a crucial question whether the next president will be an effective commander-in-chief and leader of this country, but I will not take side on which candidate will be better just now.

We, as Americans, have to look at this objectively and rationally as it is our duty as voting citizens in a democratic country to pick a leader who will be effective. Only time and God can tell who will be the better option, but we all have our opinions. The American people, as the inhibitors of the Land of the Free, must remember how to respect other people’s opinions again--as it has become such a difficult task--because that was the sole reason why the Constitution was drafted in 1787. Voters of America, I urge you to calm the hell down, sit down and just think about this year’s election. It’s not where we wanted it to be, but then, things in life rarely are. If we can just agree to examine, professionally, both sides and come together as people of a nation should, that unity will strengthen us more than just one man/woman in the White House will. If we don't, we are going to start over from point 0, or perhaps worse, and regret going lower when they went low.