“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” – Thomas Jefferson
The morning Donald Trump officially became President-elect Trump, the sky, similar to how we felt, was gloomy. Gray clouds hovered above us, literally and metaphorically. Despite this, dogs panted happily as they were walked, children giggled innocently as they jumped up and down in a bounce-house in front of the stadium and the line at the Chipotle on University Avenue was still unreasonably long. While everything looked fine on the surface, only the naïve could ignore that the tension in the atmosphere Tuesday was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.
Dear reader, we’re here to tell you today there is, in fact, a light at the end of this tunnel. We will get through this. It will not be easy. We remember how much of an uphill battle the last eight years have been. The next four, possibly eight, will be even tougher. We will need all hands on deck to make sure the progress we’ve made under President Barack Obama is not undone.
Why will it be even tougher? “To the victor belongs the spoils,” the adage goes. When President-elect Trump is inaugurated in January, he will take office with the support of a U.S. House of Representatives and a U.S. Senate that are both dominated by Republicans. Moreover, Trump will have the authority to nominate a new Supreme Court justice, who will likely be confirmed, which will leave the court leaning right with five conservative justices and four liberal justices. That being said, the entirety of our government will be occupied by the totally unorganized Republican Party that Trump left in his wake. Republicans are going to have a lot of authority.
The means by which they seized this authority is questionable, but it is legal. The fact of the matter is the majority of America has spoken, and they wanted Hillary Clinton to be our new POTUS. But in the end, Trump received more electoral votes, and he will get the job. While we don’t have to be happy about it, and we can do everything in our God- and constitutionally given rights to stop the policies we don’t agree with, we ought to respect his presidency.
We understand why you’re afraid and why you’re angry. But this isn’t the first time a man of extremely questionable experience will serve in the Oval Office. This isn’t the first time a man with a vile temperament will sit behind that desk. While most of us disagree with him on many facets of life, political or not, we are now forced to stand behind him and hope his decisions lead us to a safer, more prosperous and morally sound future.
So let’s forgive those of us who knew not what they’ve done. We all go into that voting booth with our own knowledge, our own experiences and our own reasons. Few people go into that booth and vote ironically. So remember, dear reader, when they go low, we go high. Instead of blaming, shaming and pointing fingers, let’s forgive those of us who, in good faith, misplaced our trust. We all want the same thing: a better tomorrow. Let’s stay true to our personal principles and remain faithful to the American principle of compromise.
Don’t move to Canada. Don’t move to Europe. Don’t move to Australia, to Israel or to wherever you were planning to go. Right now, you must plant your feet in this plentiful American soil, and stand like the rock our Founding Fathers would have wanted you to.
