Joseph Pietz | Contributing Writer
Deep breaths, friends. I share your shock, confusion and fear. A new representation of hate has infiltrated and separated our already dividing nation and communities. I am just as confused to what’s going on as you are. Trust me. But we all need to take a step back and move forward with a clear head. We cannot allow this hate to consume us. If we do, our nation is doomed.
It’s been a week since Donald Trump was elected as the next president of the United States. Because of the media, Trump has been painted in a very confusing picture to the public. He’s tapped into the anger and frustration of the American people. Anger against the system, anger against our economy, and anger towards our fellow man. Without knowing it, his “political incorrectness” has ignited this nation in hate and anger. I have seen horrible stories and videos of minorities being attacked and discriminated. I’ve seen Trump protestors attacking people and burning the American flag. I’ve seen my friends say horrible things to each other online. I even know friends who fear their future and the future of their family.
The shock and confusion of why this man became our president is tearing us apart. We’re forgetting our humanity; we’re forgetting to show empathy and try to understand our fellow human beings. We are so stubborn – I fall victim to stubbornness as well. I fail to understand why people would judge anything about who a person is just by the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation. Call me a progressive, or a lazy millennial, or a whining liberal, but I want what’s best for EVERYONE in our nation. Not just myself. Some people disagree with me, but we still must respect other people’s opinions. Everyone grew up differently. We have all been exposed to different things and view the world differently. That’s why parties exist, so we can find others who believe the same things as ourselves. We can try to persuade people to understand how we see things, but many people inject hate and anger in their reasons. This is where arguments and conflict stem from.
I implore you, try to understand your neighbor. We can make compromises, work together and not against, the new system coming to America. If we divide any further, we will collapse.
It’s ok to be upset that this happened, but when you harm others or disrespect the nation you live in and the men that died to give us the freedom we have, you become a part of the problem, not the solution. We can’t spread any more hate. There is so much hate in the world. In the next weeks, try to spread love in any way you can. We need to come together and face this problem head on and cooperate and be involved with things moving forward. The president must represent our whole nation.
It’s not going to be as horrible as we all think it will be. Mr. Trump has a lot of eyes on him to step up and be the president of everyone, not just “white America.” Time will tell in the end. But we must stop spreading hate. Keep moving forward. Adapt and move forward. The decision had been made and now we must accept it, move forward, and denounce hate.
