Turning Fear into Hope and Action

Donald Trump won the first election I had the privilege to vote in. I could write about shock and my worries for this great country. I could make a list of the objectively awful things Donald Trump has said or done throughout this campaign and his lifetime. But everyone already knows about those things. Instead, I choose to focus on hope.

I hope that the divides in our country will narrow as Americans learn to embrace our differences. I hope that people who took our civic duty to vote for granted will have a high turnout in the next election. I hope that both parties will listen to each other and accept compromises that are better for all people, not just a privileged few.

Ill admit that when election results slowly started to come in, I spent a good amount of time cryingfor my rights as a woman and for everyone that the future president has publicly disrespected or denounced. But now I refuse to soak in pity. While we should learn lessons from the past, we must move towards progress.

There were many times I didnt make calls or canvass for Hillary Clintons campaign because I thought I was too busy. Maybe I had a midterm or a club meeting. Maybe I got too comfortable with the high poll numbers. Moving forward, I will turn this guilt into motivation.

I will fight for the social justice causes I believe in and support groups that make the world a better place without government funding. The federal government is not the only force for positive change. And when Trump becomes president, I will tell him why I disagree with his rhetoric and actions. I will tell him how he can promote unity instead of division.

My acceptance of the outcome of this race does not mean I accept Trumps views of America. I dont know if I will ever support him or his vice president. Fear is a reasonable reaction to his words and actions. I know, however, that fear is what won Donald Trump the presidency. It causes people to make irrational decisions based on the unknown. We can choose to live our life with fear, or we can choose to show strength when faced with difficulty. Its your choice, but I choose the latter.

I refuse to be a politically disillusioned millennial. After this election, I know I want to devote my life to a career in public service. I choose to be more engaged, not less. In the next election, I have faith that we will all understand what is at stake.