To My Fellow Americans- Remaining Hopeful in a Time of Hopelessness

This is me, knowing we’re louder than any one person, seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and attempting to remain hopeful. So, here it goes.

I, like many Americans, felt a defeat greater than I knew possible this week. Everything we stood for, everything Hillary Clinton stood for was reversed, overlooked, deemed irrelevant. I’m still in shock. I’m still devastated. I’m still coping. We all are. But this sadness, this anger, this hatred- it has turned into hope. I’ll tell you why.

I’ve seen the fire of a thousand suns ignite passion between my brothers and sisters. I’ve seen people speak out for what they believe in, write letters to people who disagree with them, and vow to make a difference in this world. Our voices will be heard if enough of us use them, and the past three days alone, I’ve been in awe over the fervent expression of others.

If you voted for Trump, I’m not going to label you a racist, or a misogynist, or a bad person. That’s not who I am, and I’m sorry that people are labeling you that. I’m going to believe that you voted for Trump because you truly want to “make America great again-” get our economy back to what it once was. ‘m going to believe that you voted for Trump not because you want to strip minorities of their basic rights.

But I’m going to need you to prove that. I’m going to need you to stand with us. I’m going to need you to understand why we’re afraid. My sisters, my queer community, my friends who have a different skin color than I do or believe in something different than I do- we are afraid. Please don’t discount that. Trump’s position on minorities might not affect you, but it affects us. So again, I’m going to need you to stand with us. I’m going to need you to understand why we’re afraid.

FORT LEE, NJ – NOVEMBER 6: Thousands of US flags decorate the front lawn of the Fort Lee High School in advance of election day and Veterans Day next week on November 6, 2016 in Fort Lee, NJ. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Now, more than ever, is when we, the people, need to stand together for what we believe in. And what we should believe in, over everything else, are basic human rights and the power we have as Americans. This is the land of the free, the home of the brave. Our veterans didn’t risk their lives so we could threaten the lives of our neighbors. They didn’t get deployed to war so we could start our own over this election. We are better than that. We are stronger than that.

Donald Trump will become president in January, but we are bigger than any one man. Our voices, combined, are louder than his. The joke about moving to Canada is over. This is our new reality, and I’m choosing to stay. I’m choosing to stand up for what I believe in. And I hope you’ll stay and stand with me.

To those who feel unsafe, unwanted, unimportant: I hear you. I see you. I am with you. I am one of you. But let this burn our desire to make a difference, let it kick start our revolution. We, as woman, as queers, as Muslims, as POC, as Americans, have the power to fight this- to fight for our right to reproductive care, to fight for our right to marry, to fight for our right to use whichever bathroom suits us, to fight for our right to embrace our religion and race without fearing the criticism of others.

Like Gloria Steinem said, “I’m not going to disobey the law, but I’m not going to pretend he represents me.” We were sad. We were angry. We were confused. But now, we fight.

"“We will not mourn. We will organize.”"

Let us listen, hear, and understand one another. Let love trump hate. Only when we are kicked down time after time, will we want to get up and stand stronger. Only when we are at our most vulnerable, will we feel the need to inspire a movement. This is us, at our most vulnerable. This is us, inspiring our movement.

Next: Post-Election, A Letter to My Unborn Son

So deal us in. Because this is us, taking our country back.