Trump Won Now What?

I've had a week to think about the results of our election, and I must say that it has had its highs and lows.

I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone who knows me that I didn't vote for Trump. I probably shared with a lot of other people the initial shock. The result was something that I saw coming from about 9:30 PM on election night and by midnight when the result was becoming clear, I started to really think about our next 4 years.

There is no use in moping about complaining about how this should have turned out different. It's done. There is nothing that anyone is going to be able to do that is going to change the fact that approximately 50% of the people that voted, picked Donald Trump. Like it or not he is our next President, and I personally have come to terms with that. However, there are things that we can do to ensure that he remains true to his acceptance speech and becomes a President for all Americans.

1. Make your voice heard.

Now more than ever the voice of the people must be strong. Our elected officials are there to serve us, the people. Even if the party representing you is not the one that you voted for, it doesn't matter, your representative is there to serve you, and has an obligation to listen to constituent concerns.

It may seem at times that it is futile to contact your legislator, but the more people use the tools at their disposal, the better chance we have of effecting change.

2. Start a dialog with the other side.

I think one of the biggest things that I have determined in the last 6 days is that pointing fingers, and belittling those that voted contrary to me, is not the answer. For the most part people voted with their hearts, and truly believe that the person they voted for is best for this country. I think it is time that we begin to discuss why we stand on opposite ends on certain issues. The more we talk to each other the better chance we will have at coming together as a nation.

3. Understand

Four years will go by fast and right now is the time to start looking towards the next time when we get to elect who will hold the highest office in the land.

If this election taught us anything is that sometimes the unexpected can happen when we don't take the time to understand the motivators driving peoples beliefs/decisions. This ties into my second point, but in preparing we must make sure that everyone feels included.

Like Brexit the results of this election were not a statement of racism/bigotry/hate, they were a statement from people that were tired of being ignored. Those people are the ones that we need to embrace and understand. Those people wanted to make their voice heard and they gravitated to the person they thought would make that happen. Just like many people have said that they cast their vote for a third party out of protest, I would say that many people that voted for Trump were also casting their own protest vote.

There is a great divide in America that needs to be bridged. As our nation has progressed there are those that have increasingly felt left out. We must try to understand this divide if we are to progress past the bickering.

This post would be naive if I didn't address race. It is evident that there is a fringe movement that has gathered a voice in Trump's rhetoric. The "alt-right" movement now has a platform and, as unfortunate as it may be, have become very vocal throughout this election. We can't ignore this. As a nation we must stand up against all hatred and bigotry because that is not America. We can't continue to ignore the vile messages being spewed by a small minority. We must drown those voices out with a message of unity and acceptance that the vast majority of Americans believe in.

This rant was more for me than anyone else but I decided to make it public in case it helps even one person out there come to terms with what has happened.