Despite the outcries of disproven and unproven voter fraud and more than 30 frivolous attempts at lawsuits, it appears that the sitting president is going to be out of a job come late this January.
On that day, barring some last-ditch attempt at a coup from PresidentDonald Trump, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Trump was the most divisive president in American history— a man who cared and still cares only for himself. His presidency created uncertainty of where America is headed and shed an ugly light on the dark underbelly of what is supposed to be the greatest country in the world.
I’ll be glad when Trump is no longer president because it will allow our country the opportunity to heal together. It will allow us to not worry about the personal conduct of the president on a day-to-day basis and will restore empathy, compassion, health, safety, logic and science to the White House.
It is indeed a time for celebration, but it should not be a time for complacency.
With Trump no longer president, I am afraid that we will get too comfortable. With rising tensions across the country, we can not afford to go into cruise control just because our president isn’t tweeting insults at 3 AM anymore.
In many ways, America is a land of potential and possibility. However, these four years have showcased the many problems that still exist and inhibit our ability to thrive as a nation.
The fact of the matter is that this election showed us that at least 74,093,046 people in this country still support the ideas of racism, sexism and homophobia, or decided they aren’t deal-breakers. I am a big believer in the power of opinion, but when someone says that they have a right to believe any of the above, that’s where I draw the line.
It’s not an opinion then. It’s wrong.
We need to educate each other on the country’s history, the good and the bad, so that we can learn from our mistakes and capitalize on the positives.
For example, we as a country must accept that we have a huge problem in regards to systemic racism. The effects of redlining and other racist zoning laws, along with teachings and beliefs passed down from generations who were raised with the notion that these practices were OK, are still causing major problems for BIPOC in America.
I believe that America was founded on the basis that anyone and everyone should have the chance to get ahead and make their dreams a reality. Without addressing our country’s problem with systemic racism, that dream is not possible.
This is a huge issue in a sea of others that needs to be rectified, and ignoring the problems we face today will not create a better tomorrow.
Our country, despite the shortcomings and the issues yet to be solved, still has the potential to be the beacon of hope, the shining example to the world of why democracy works. We can further improve this nation.
But we need to do it together.
Our generation has the power to come together and change the world for the better, by solving tough issues like racism, the economy and the environment. By coming together, we can continue to encourage progress and innovation that betters us.
We do this by coming to a simple understanding: all of us are unique.
No person shares the exact same values and morals as another, and that’s what enables us to succeed. Civil debate and compromise are what I believe to be the core of what will move this country forward.
Through these vehicles we can ensure that everyone has a voice for themselves, their family, and the future of the country. Through calm collaboration, logic and compromise we can better this country and heal the divide.
Over the past four years, partisanship has been at an all time high and this simply cannot be allowed to continue. Let’s look past our differences, or even better embrace them, because those differences will create innovation.
Let’s denounce the ideas of racism, sexism and homophobia—because they only hinder what makes our nation great.
We may not agree on what steps to take to get there, but if we allow each other to have a voice—to understand one another– we will move forward as a country and become the nation that we believe we should be.
