I will never force my political opinion onto another individual and do not want to resent the results of the elections anymore, regardless of how upset I am, because from here on out there is only moving forward.

What I will emphasize is that you are not a bystander. Do not default to “there is nothing we can do” because there is always something you can do. You are an advocate for your friends and family, for your classmates and coworkers, but also for our country. The way you act reflects on us all. It may sound elementary to say “treat others how you wish to be treated”, but when reading the news the past couple of years I fear we have lost that golden rule. With that, please respect each others opinions, but when it becomes dangerous or hurtful to another individual then please step up for them. There is absolutely, under no circumstances, a reason why someone of a certain gender/religion/color/sexual orientation/etc should feel unsafe or uncomfortable due to a comment or gesture of another.

Do not succumb to the bully culture. Do stand up for the people around you. This country was based on liberty and justice FOR ALL; not solely for those with the political power.

With that said, I hope that as Americans we can over come our racist, sexist, and otherwise discriminatory past. We have the power to change and stand up for what actually matters. We are a people with ambition and energy, but let us put that effort towards a life that will actually make us great. We all have work to do, and that work begins now.