While many supporters celebrated president-elect Donald Trump’s victory on Tuesday by committing horrific acts of racism, vandalism and violence, half of the country has spent this week in mourning.
Many people speculated what the dismal future would look like – will Trump hold up his promise to force Muslims to register? Will vice president-elect Mike Pence’s rejection of evolution, female reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights trickle down into Trump’s agenda? Will Trump’s racist and sexist antics further incite his followers?
Millions are already recording the abhorrent incidents that have occurred after Trump was elected. Some stories include a Latina woman being threatened with rape, a Muslim woman being assaulted and robbed by a Trump supporter, a black man’s car getting vandalized with racial slurs – and that is just within the past 72 hours.
But you know what? It’s going to be okay. You heard me correctly. We cannot waste time being afraid for too long. We have work to do. America will endure.
Here’s why:
You will take all good things for granted if you were never at risk of losing them.
There is a balance that needs to be appreciated here. We cannot be thankful for the good times if we’ve never struggled. Darkness teaches us to work harder for the dawn and bask in sunlight every chance we get. You cannot treasure the beauty of unity without witnessing the ugliness of hate.
Life is precious. When our families and friends are placed in imminent danger, something is triggered within us. The instinct to advocate, protect and defend is ignited when our humanity is threatened.
Be an ally. Speak up for strangers when you see someone being mistreated.
Encourage friendly and open discourse when you disagree. Learn from others who may have a different perspective than you and teach your experiences when there is an opportunity to illuminate others.
Place pressure on congress.
You still have a representative. And they are responsible for – you guessed it – representing you. So if the leader of the free world does something you do not like, do you know who is paid to answer your call? Congress.
Whether it’s poor gun control, eroding civil rights, or lack of police reform – you are allowed to express your grievances.
If you are unhappy with our society, it means Congress is not doing their jobs. You do not work for them. They work for you. They are accountable to you.
Remember student loans? Have you ever been angered by the amount of times student loan representatives harass you about your bill? That's because you owe them something.
Congress owes you something. The Senate owes you something. When they agreed to represent you and fail to do so, that means they have not honored their agreement. Harass them.
They. Work. For. You.
Americans are hurting. Futures are ending. Children are scared. Do not be silent. Call. Your. Representative. Protest. Donate to a struggling organization that advocates for human rights. Do not complain – do something.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Be the light.
If we take a step back from politics, look beyond the violence, fear and hatred, Donald Trump’s win can give us the dose of tragedy we need in order to press the restart button.
We can reflect on how such a divisive figure could make it to the White House. Once he enters the Oval Office, Trump will be under a magnifying glass that he cannot escape – there will be nowhere for him to hide. With the election behind us, citizens and politicians will be able to analyze the glaring cracks embedded in America’s democracy.
In addition to promoting love and unity, citizens can organize and mobilize. We cannot fix the problem until we know what is broken and understand what caused the break.
As civil rights leader and minister Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”
Don’t waste time being afraid of the dark – be the light. Get to work.