Like many Americans, I was greatly disappointed when I awoke last Wednesday morning. I fear for our country; I am terrified of what we will be in four years, but also who we are now to have elected Donald Trump again. In case you have forgotten the last 12 years, Trump is a convicted felon (see The People of New York v. Trump), rapist (see E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump), fraudster (see a different case titled New York v. Trump), insurrectionist (see United States House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack), and the only president to have ever been impeached twice. Suffice it to say that my opinion of his leadership is not particularly high.
So what can we do? We voted in a fair and honest election, and we lost. Despite how incompetent he may be, he will be the president for the next four years. When our leaders fail us, where does that leave us?
At the end of the day, it falls to us to be the person that we believe our leaders should be. If our leaders don’t love and accept the people around us, it falls to us to do so. If our leaders don’t respect and support the rights of others, it falls to us to do so.
Remember that America is a people, not a president. America is your teacher and your classmates, your teammates and your coach. America is the friends who support you through everything you’re going through. America is the passersby you smile at on the walk to class, or that person you help with directions even though you’re in a rush. At the end of the day, it is our decision what America is, not his. Am I basically saying “the real America is the friends we made along the way?” Yeah, I am. Sue me.
I know that some of you, maybe even most of you, will disagree with my sentiment. You may think I’m overly idealistic and that I have too much faith in the people of a country who voted Trump into office a second time. Sure, I get it. I am overly idealistic. But here’s the thing: change begins with you. If you like the dream I presented and wish that it could be a reality, remember that all it takes is kindness and patience; why not be a source of the kindness and patience you want to see in the world? The first step towards a better future has to be taken by someone, it might as well be you.
The assignment is not over. “We’re not going back” isn’t just a campaign slogan, it’s a state of mind and a rallying cry. Maybe you’re still hurting from the results of the election. Maybe by now, you feel the numbness of apathy creeping in. Fight it! Don’t let them kill your spirit! Hope is special in that it can never be taken from you, it can only be given up. Even if you’ve given up hope, it can be taken back again.
It is imperative that we hold on to hope in these coming years. Yes, hope can make you vulnerable to feeling worse. You may have heard the sentiment “it’s the hope that kills you.” But hope also gives you the drive to carry on. Hope gives you the strength to keep smiling at the people you pass by; it gives you the patience to still stop and give directions even if you’re in a rush. The glue that holds America together is the hope that we can be a people who care about one another. The first step to making a community that is kind to all its members is to be kind yourself.
I know it’s hard, believe me I do. It can be so hard to be kind and caring when so many people can be mean and cruel. It takes incredible courage and strength to carry on in such times. Remember that there are other people who love and support you. We stand together. If you feel like you’re faltering, spend time with the people you care about most, the people who offer you the same patience and kindness you give to the world. Let other people’s hope give you the strength to hold on to your own.
Remember to be kind and patient with one another, because ultimately, it now falls to us to do so. Hold fast to hope. We will get through this together.
