The United States of America is my country. I'm proud to be an American. When I was little and visiting my Dutch relatives, I used to proudly proclaim that I was an American like my dad and the dog. I'm not disgusted by the people who are angry about who won the election; I'm not disgusted by people who don't agree and are worried. However, I'm offended by this group of people who are flying flags of being tolerant people and protested the "other side" because they're racists, sexist, etcetera—which is really just calling names—bullying people who disagree with them and demanding that no one support what is. I am disgusted by people who are actively trying to cause violence and dissent. These people are causing fear and hatred and many of them are justifying their words and actions by saying “the other side said bad things about us for 8 years.”

I for one never liked President Obama. I didn't vote for him. However, I will admit that he's done some good things for the country. I don't agree with other things he's done. I feel like he’s painted targets on the backs of police officers and painted them all with the brush of racists, when I know that not to be the case. I feel like he doesn’t support our military. However, I do accept that he attempted to help people get health care who wouldn’t otherwise get it (the elimination of the ability to refuse health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions is an important thing). When the President came to Sandusky, I wanted to see him, because I thought it was cool that a sitting President would actually come to our little town. I was really upset that he blocked off the entire downtown and only allowed "his supporters" to see his speech. You know, I would have been okay if he'd come to a private venue to stump for candidates; but, to take up public space, shut down businesses (including the court house which stopped a bunch of people from getting their homes purchased that day) and then ban people he didn't like from that public place was wrong in my opinion.  Of course, I was called a racist by several people who assume that when you disagree with someone’s policies and that person isn’t of the same race as you that you are the worst kind of human being.

However, this did not incite me to violence or hatred. I just said: “Well, it's wrong and if I ever get an opportunity, I'll tell people I think so.” I hope they listen.

In the end, it's this country that I'm proud of. I am not a racist or a sexist or a homophobe. I like some people, I dislike other people. I've never truly wished ill on any other person (except my ex-husband and honestly, I think I can be forgiven for that because the feeling has long since passed). This country affords people of all races, backgrounds, and sexual orientations opportunities that no other country in the world does. The highest offices and statuses have been reached by those born into the lowest. Like my dad always told me “Some things might be harder to reach for you, some things might be handed to others that you don’t get handed to you. But, if you spend all your time looking at what others have, you’re missing your opportunity to work to get what you want. Hard work will bring you whatever you want.”

I am not denying the existence of racism, sexism, or bigotry in our country. I’m merely pointing out that constantly carrying it around as a banner, throwing those labels out at people who disagree with you causes those very things to fester and grow. It keeps those things alive.

Donald Trump won this election. He will be our President. I’ve never liked Donald Trump. I wish someone would take his damn Twitter account away. But do I wish him failure? Absolutely not. His failure would be the failure of this country, this great country, this country that I love. Will I fight to defend the basic principles of this country? Of course, I will. Do the basic principles of this country include hatred and venom spewed out at people who’ve chosen to be part of the inauguration, the systematic campaign of cyber-bullying of people who support the President, or the violent campaign to destroy anyone who holds a differing opinion of the possibilities of the future? No, they do not. What are you teaching the next generation? If they get a boss they don’t like, but some other co-worker likes that boss, is it okay to burn that co-worker’s house to the ground? This isn’t what this country is about.

If you don’t like this President to be, then go ahead and peacefully say so. If you don’t like something he sets in motion, then go ahead and write your Congressmen and women and tell them to oppose a policy. The man isn’t even President yet; no one knows what he’s going to do or how he’s going to govern. He was legally elected by the electoral college; if you take California out of the mix, he won the popular vote handily. This entire country cannot be ruled by the same standards as one state—it wouldn’t work—and our wise forefathers who made this great country understood that.

May the next four years be prosperous, may they be peaceful. May the inauguration go without hitch and without some third world coup attempt that some people seem to think would be okay and are actually advocating (many of them trying to ban guns at the same time, preaching love and understanding which is clearly something they know nothing about. You can’t just love and understand people who agree with you, you have to love and understand the bigot too, otherwise you’re just a damn hypocrite). May the doomsayers prove wrong. May everyone stop using the bad behavior of others as an excuse for their own bad behavior. We are all on the same boat. We need to work together, even with people who we don’t like, or the ship will be lost.

In my opinion. I am sure I will be called names, told I’m wrong, and be called hopelessly optimistic…which is funny because I’m cynical about everything, I no longer have faith in humanity. In the end, we got the President we all deserve. He is a reflection of our society. If any other person had run on a major ticket, that person would have won. This is the boat we decided to jump on, this is the ship of state.