I have opinions about the Republican party. I have opinions about the Democratic party. I no doubt have opinions about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. We all have our opinions about these topics, (as seen on every inch of social media this morning) but this is article is not about that. This article is not about supporting one or bashing another.
This is about losing gracefully, with class and with the idea of American Democracy in mind above all else.
Hillary Clinton’s concession speech was very different from the woman I saw on the campaign trail, there is no denying that. She has always had grace and class but it is easy to have those traits when the mainstream media is literately laughing at your opponent. It is effortless to hold your head high and smile when you, and everyone around you believes that you will be the victor.
When you experience defeat in front an entire nation it is not as simple to do those same things. Often times to win requires an unmatched ambition, a loud voice, a strong presence, an “I’ve got this” attitude that does not hold well with failure. Clinton always exemplified that she had those winning traits but this morning she showed that she also has the skills to loose personally without attributing her defeat to the defeat of Americans.
Not long after an emotional Clinton approached the podium she said that she hopes that Donald Trump will be a successful President for all Americans. She looked her left-winged followers in the eyes and told them, “Donald Trump is going to be our President. We owe him an open-mind and the chance to lead.” She told them that if they believe in America, the they must accept that result and look to the future.
Her comments to her followers about giving Trump a clean slate regardless of their personal and political opinions were classy. Her comments about the preservation and progression of our Democracy were essential.
“Our constitutional Democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power. And we don’t just respect that, we cherish it," Clinton said. She explained that a successful Democracy demands participation from it's citizens not just every four years but all of the time.
This is a message that so many Americans needed to be reminded of after a divisive election that resulted in distrust, disgust and disengagement from many voters on both sides of the isle.
So, I pass along what was for me the most significant sentence in a speech filled with important messages.
“Please, never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
I pass this along to my friends on the left as well as on the right. Most importantly, I pass this along to my disengaged friends. More than anything Hillary Clinton asked for participation in her concession speech. She asked for young people to believe in something and fight for it.
She left young people with her long and complicated political story of victories and defeats. She did not hide from them the pain of her losses of the past nor the one that she is encountering now. She told them that they too will have successes and setbacks, but that they should never stray away from their ambitions.
Our Democracy only works if we do. We must choose to educate ourselves not only by listening to the main stream messages of our Country’s two major political parties but by listening to those who do not share the same views as us. By understanding the evolution of both the Democratic and Republican parties, and comprehending that there is much more beneath the surface level of each ideology. We must fully immerse ourselves in the culture of our Democracy.
This is about America where we not only encourage, but our Democracy depends on, our participation in the free market place of ideas. As we all witnessed in this election, that participation was a fierce battle of ideologies. May it be a friendship, a family, a career, or a Country; sometimes things need to be shook up and broke down in order to be restored and rebuilt.
If you were blessed enough to be born into the most free country in the history of the world, do not miss out on your opportunities, your rights and your duty to honor our American heritage by valuing our traditions of civic engagement, continuous intellectual development, the debate of differing ideas, and the rebellious nature of always questioning those who seek to lead us.
