A call for social change still exists

By Christina Galdi

On Nov. 9, 2016, after what felt like the longest presidential campaign in existence, Donald Trump won the election and Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Since then, it seems like our country has divided itself more than ever before.

It feels like half of the people rejoiced, while the other half, or a little more than half, is still in disbelief with the results. Look at how quickly protests broke out in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Many Trump supporters believe that those protesters are “sore losers” that need to accept Donald Trump as their new president. On the flipside, many Clinton supporters firmly believe that those who voted for Trump believe in the racist, xenophobic, homophobic and sexist rhetoric that was spewed out during the campaign.

There is an extreme discourse between the two groups, and this discourse has fueled a great deal of hate crimes in the country. Even on our own campus, women were reporting being harassed by men who said they would grab them “by the p****” (one of many disgusting things Trump has said).

Trump has overturned the narrow-minded underbelly of the country we all blissfully ignored for decades. He gave a voice to those who have ideals that, quite frankly, don’t belong in our modern society.

One of the main steps in healing and reuniting our country is acceptance. After the mourning process is over, we must accept that this is where we are. However, this does not mean we give up.

We can accept the outcome of this election, but Trump supporters must also accept that while they may not deem themselves as racist or homophobic, they simply chose to ignore the hateful rhetoric that Trump included in his campaign.

Next, we must try and refrain from making assumptions about why people, and in some cases, people we love, voted for Trump. Not all Trump supporters fit into the “basket of deplorables.” Some genuinely feel let down by our country’s government because people believe they’ve been lied to, so they are sick of government officials having all the power.

The American people wanted a revolution, much like “Bernie or Bust” supporters. However, this revolution is founded on hate and intolerance.

So yes, while most people voted for Trump because they wanted to see change, they decided ignoring rhetoric reminiscent of Germany before WWII was a small price to pay for change. They also ignore the fact that Trump has gone against almost all of his original platforms that his followers desperately clung to.

These protests aren’t because Clinton lost. They are being held to make it clear that we will not let a fear-mongering tyrant strip the American people of their basic rights.

Clinton won the popular vote; the majority of this country voted for her, but more importantly, the

majority of the country voted against Trump. He does not represent the majority of this country.

We will not, and cannot, let this man, who views one million dollars as a small loan, be a true representative for all Americans. We will not let him exclaim that he is “draining the swamp,” when in reality he is appointing people into his cabinet that are deeply rooted in politics and are some of the slimiest people in the game.

We will not let Trump supporters tell us to shut up and accept the results when they drew pictures of a noose around Obama’s neck when he was elected president.

This election matters, and it affects everyone. If you don’t think that the consequences of this election are going to touch you, perhaps it is time to check your privilege.