Love Trumps Hate

On the evening of November 8th, 2016 I was flooded with many different emotions as I sat and watched slowly as one state after another turned red. Fear. Anger. Sadness. Confusion. Disbelief. Disappointment. Fear. Got stuck on fear. Like the start of an anxiety attack, except for what I was afraid of was real, my worst case scenario was ACTUALLY happening.

I of course am referring to the 2016 American Presidential Election, and the fact that Donald Trump won...by a lot.

To make this worse for me, I knew that a lot of people very close to my heart voted for him. People I love and want to have respect for made this atrocity happen. I had to pull away, turn in to myself and consider how I was going to handle my life the next day; how I was going to interact with them normally, while inside I wanted to slap them in the face. As I was perusing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram I noticed an even more frightening trend between Republicans and Democrats alike.

Hate.

Those that had voted and won were spewing hate filled, ungracious things to anyone who might voice their disappointment in the results of the election. Those that opposed him, rioting in the streets, screaming "He's not MY president". Getting in to arguments, and generally making total asses out of themselves. Still, right now in Portland, Oregon there are riots in the streets blocking traffic and delaying people on their commutes. Five people were shot in Seattle, Washington at an anti-Trump protest. This is just what's happening in my little universe, the Pacific Northwest.

Do you get it yet? This is why Trump is terrifying, he breeds hate. I've seen the breakdown, and refutations about Trump being racist, sexist, and every other negative thing. I'm not arguing with Trump supporters there, I don't know the man; I can only form my opinions on what I see and hear. And even if the media portrays him in an incorrect light, and YOU did your research and found out the truth most people don't know or understand, it is allowing hateful, racist America the chance to thrive. From both supporters and protestors, electing Trump has taken America back in time.

People of different ethnicities are scared to walk down the street, and I don't blame them. I recently read an article where a Muslim woman's mother texted her the evening that Trump won begging her daughter to no longer wear her hijab because she was so afraid for her daughter. And that's bull shit. No one should be afraid to simply be an American. Regardless of their race, religion, or sexuality.

But they are, mothers are afraid for their teen daughters. Children afraid for their families, too young to understand the complex details. Teachers and families afraid for their students and kids. LGBTQ afraid for other LGBTQ. Never in my 30 years of life, have I seen so much fear to simply exist from the result of a decision so many people were apart of making.

THIS is why voting Trump in to the Whitehouse was a bad move. This is why people oppose him so strongly; because of what he is made himself out to be: hateful. And those who were already full of hate, have gathered around and let this fuel their fire, like a glutton surrounded by sugary deserts, a murderer being handed endless weaponry and victims.

With that being said, love trumps hate. I am going to swallow a spoonful of my own medicine. Trump is going to be our next president, it just is what it is. I believe that we now need to do our best to support the man leading our country, and most importantly we need to stop spreading the hate. American's need to remember what Thumper said in Bambi:

"If you can't say something nice...don't say nothing at all"

So again, with the spoon of my own advice to my lips, here are my nice thoughts about Donald Trump.

• To say that I am shocked to so wholeheartedly agree with a plan that Trump has come up with is an understatement, but I do. His plan that was recently released about the 2nd Amendment is fantastic in my opinion (says the daughter of a gun toting Republican). Not only does he address that the right to bear arms will not be taken away, but he acknowledges that many mass-shooters had obvious mental problems and understands that taking away the guns doesn't fix that. The only thing that fixes that, is offering more mental health care opportunities. Bloody brilliant.

• He has clearly done something right in raising his children to be intelligent productive members in society.

• I particularly like when he says yuge. I don't know why, it's ridiculous but I still find it amusing.

It's easy to ignore any bright sides and be pissed that Trump won, but it doesn't do anything for anyone.

To those who are protesting in the streets: STOP. You are making EVERYONE else who opposes Trump look bad. You are doing no one any favors, and by creating violence like this you might as well have voted Trump in yourself. Do something PRODUCTIVE instead.

If you are truly scared for America, lets do amazing things TOGETHER. There are many different ways you can get involved, write letters to congress, get involved in your community, find an organization that embodies a belief you support and volunteer.

Love trumps hate.

Support one another, be kind, be gracious, be up-lifting. Life is hard enough without us trying to drag each other down.

A dear friend of mine has started volunteering for a program called RISE, which is sort of like a homework club for children who are new to this country and are still developing their English. They are children of immigrants and refugees, and they are scared. I am turning in my application to volunteer as well. Put your money where your mouth is, be a part of the change.

Here are a few places in which you can get involved to make a difference:

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)- irco.org

Serves immigrant and refugee community members in Oregon and SW Washington build new lives and become self-sufficient by providing linguistically specific social services (this is the organization the runs the RISE program I mentioned above)

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) - showingupforracialjustice.org

"We envision a society where we struggle together with love, for justice, human dignity and a sustainable world."

Council on Amerian-Islamic Relations (CAIR) -cair.com

"CAIR's mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding."

You can also donate to places like Planned Parenthood and climate change organizations.

So, let's all pull together and prove that LOVE TRUMPS HATE

#DonaldTrump #America #Election #Politics #Love #LoveTrumpsHate