Everyone has the right to a political opinion. That’s what our democracy is…a government for the people, by the people. The President cannot “overthrow” the country. All branches of government work together to balance each other out. In other words, through a system of checks and balances, the President can veto legislation presented by Congress. This also means that Congress has the ability to override the President’s veto if need be. Our system of government is organized and structured like this for a reason. Though the president has many powers, he cannot make spontaneous radical decisions that would destroy the country in a split second. In the worst case scenario, if the President conducts himself in a way that is ultimately unconstitutional, actions can and will be taken against him. The Supreme Court, the House, and the Senate can conduct the process of impeaching the President if worse comes to worse. This protects the people.

In other words, we need to take a breath and calm down, because believe it or not, the country will not implode upon itself. (Hard to believe, I know.) Yes, we are struggling to see eye to eye where societal issues are concerned, and America is by no means the perfect country. But the world is not ending. Having this mentality is quite frankly, borderline selfish. It’s so important to remember that we are blessed enough to live in a country where we are in control of our destiny as citizens. We can work together to create the best “tomorrow” possible, whereas some people in the world are in a situation where their future is already decided for them. Regardless of the result of the election, we can go to sleep at night knowing our freedom and liberty will still be intact when we wake up in the morning.

Someone with different views isn’t any more “right” than you are. This past election has divided the country so severely, and the electorate is more severed than ever. We are refusing to listen to each other, and it’s nothing but disrespectful. Don’t attack somebody else’s opinion. Don’t downplay someone’s worries or concerns. Take into consideration that just because your neighbor has beliefs that may be different from (or even the complete opposite of) yours, it does not mean that they’re wrong. Attacking a person’s political stance is just as unintelligent as it is pointless. As far-fetched as someone’s concerns may be, or as ignorant as someone else’s viewpoints are to you, challenging them in an argumentative way isn’t going to change things. Republicans won the White House, but that does not mean that the Democratic party has automatically lost it's dignity or validity. It doesn’t mean that everyone under the sun needs to all of a sudden adopt and conform to more conservative views.

Honestly, the scary thing here isn’t who we have in office. It’s how we’re handling it. The riots and protesting that have culminated as a result of the election last Tuesday are what make me fear for my safety, not who the President-elect happens to be. We need to stop being irrational. If we’re not happy with something, we need to work to adjust the outcome and be the change we wish to see, not rally in the streets. We’re all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, so it’s time to smarten up and act like it.