It is now after the election results and Donald Trump has become our president elect. Maybe not surprisingly, I didn’t agree with the results. And as we can see from social media, news coverage, and protests happening around the country, neither did millions of people. Right after the results were announced, many people and celebrities took to social media to express their displeasure and shock. Immediately there were protests. One of the biggest being here in Los Angeles. I’m tired of people saying, “Get over it. He won.” Yeah he did, but as the First Amendment states, we have the freedom of speech. That means people are free to protest. People want to protest peacefully but there are those who are vandalizing and destroying property. Because of this, everyone generalizes that all protestors are unruly when in reality, it’s a small handful. We don’t all think that Trump supporters are racist so don’t assume that all protestors are “vandals” and “childish”. What I’ve found funny is that Trump supporters have commented that if it was the other way around and Clinton had won instead, this wouldn’t be happening. They’ve said that they would’ve already gotten over it and moved on with their lives. I find this pretty hard to believe when they were very vocal with how they felt about Clinton. I also find it hypocritical that people are suppose to accept the outcome when Trump said he wouldn’t if Clinton won. Even if protesting doesn’t change the results, it let’s Trump know that people won’t stand for sexism, racism, and xenophobia.
Another thing that bothered me and I have seen a lot is that people who are pro Trump are blaming the media for brainwashing those who are against him. We’ve read and learned how the media can be influential but that doesn’t mean with can’t think for ourselves. It might be hard to believe but we can actually form our own opinions. I don’t have to watch the news to know what he said. I can just watch videos of 8his rallies and debates to see the kind of person he is.
There are also reports of increase hate crimes, especially in schools. There were some reported to be false but for the most part, there has been videos and audio as proof of this. I understand that racism and discrimination existed even before Trump decided to campaign but with his off-putting remarks insulting every group imaginable, it has brought people to feel empowered and think that it is ok to insult and discriminate towards people. If he really wants us to work together, he should go on Twitter, like he always does, and tell his supporters to stop the hatred. Which don’t get me started with his Twitter. He needs to be monitored when he tweets. Or Melania should start her end with cyberbullying campaign with her husband.
Lastly, I just want to say that even though I don’t agree, I respect those who voted for him. I don’t generalize and think because you voted for Trump, then that means you’re sexist or racist. I just wanted to voice why I don’t think he is the right person to lead the country. I don’t feel like saying this on social media because I’ve seen all the hateful comments people have left saying to “stop whining” and “go back to your country” to those who God forbid think differently than them. I am reluctantly willing to give him a chance but I’m not going to easily forget all the negative things he has said. I can’t believe how much fear this election has evoked in this country. It’s sad to see how scared people are because of who our next president will be. We were becoming a progressive country and now it feels like we are taking 50 years back. But just like people who were against President Obama and complaining about every little thing for the past 8 years, is is our turn to watch Trump closely. In the end, we all just want what is best for our country.