I am feeling all of the feels right now after this election. I am sad not only that my preferred candidate wasn’t elected, but also a surprisingly high percentage of the country are okay with the person representing who we are as a nation having used such offensive and controversial rhetoric towards several groups of people. I am fearful that he will encourage racist, bigoted, discriminatory, or sexist acts, and bring out violence in people. Even if his controversial words hold no meaning, I am scared he will instill a sense of superiority to certain groups or empower those who have hateful hearts. And honestly, I am slightly angry about the outcome of the race, and very surprised at the amount of people who did not stop his behavior.

I understand that not all Trump supporters encourage discriminatory acts or language, but from my observations, the “Trump Effect” is real. My mom is a law professor at Michigan State University, and just this week she had a black student tell her that after the election, she had one white man spit in her direction while walking on the sidewalk and another white man give her a hateful glance. The student claims this has never happened to her before the election. I’m not saying all Trump supporters are like this, but I am saying that I believe Trump has made it seem okay for people to act this way; after all, if the president can act they way he has, why can’t everyone else? It’s not that I believe all Republicans are racist or dumb, because I know plenty of intelligent Republicans, but I myself do not agree with most of their policies, especially Trump’s propositions.

To grieve, chances are very high I will be attending the Million Women March protest in Washington D.C. on January 21st, 2017. As a woman, I am scared for my future under this man. He has been accused of twelve different sexual assaults by multiple different women, openly said sexist comments caught on tape or on Twitter about the appearances of women, and says he wants to defund parts of Planned Parenthood, most notably the abortion aspect. I don’t want to live under a president who doesn’t seem to respect my gender, and wants to take away a right that women should be able to make for themselves. No, this protest won’t change the fact that he is president, but I want to express my protest towards this issue.

I do realize that I will need to at least somewhat accept the presidency, and I will be trying to move forward in a positive direction. Protests are a great way to express your opinions, as long as no violence comes of this and you are safe. Donating to causes that you support, such as Planned Parenthood, can help keep these programs up and running. Actively keeping up to date with current political issues is a must so you can analyze and decide for yourself your own opinions. Most importantly, stop any hurtful language or actions you see. This point is always relevant, and it is okay to discuss politics, but please do not resort to personal insults or hurtful rhetoric and actions. Trump may be your president, but he is not mine.