There might’ve been no worse feeling than seeing the man I was totally opposed to being the next president actually win the election.

In the days that followed, I had to remind myself that it wasn’t just a dream and that Hillary Clinton actually did lose the election, but even after I realized this was real, the state of the future of this nation seemed unclear to me.

This is a critical time in our nation’s history because we seem to lack an identity. Every race, religion and socioeconomic group just seems split with contrasting viewpoints. Some groups feel more vulnerable now more than ever.

We need to take advantage of our freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of assembly. And because of those freedoms, our country truly is unique, and people across the nation can stand united.

To some people, the anti-Trump protests may seem silly, since he did indeed win the majority of the electoral college’s votes. However, the protests symbolize something much deeper.

They are a way to seek solidarity, to come together regardless of what religion you practice, what your skin color is or what your sexual orientation is. The protests are for communities that were singled out by Donald Trump himself during his presidential campaign.

What I’ve gotten out of the anti-Trump protests is how great this country really is. Individuals have the right to speak up for themselves, and that’s exactly what half the nation is doing.

There’s been an ubiquitous idea of protest, of peacefully fighting for what we as a nation want. The common people should have some say in how the country should be run, and that’s exactly what’s being demonstrated. It’s not a measly temper-tantrum; it’s the first amendment.

But ultimately, as a nation, we will have to move forward. The next four years will be undeniably difficult, especially for many college students.

Somewhere within that thorn bush, as described by Abraham Lincoln, lies a rose. That we might be able to achieve some good out of Trump’s presidency.

We need to be more united than ever; however, that should not give us an excuse to use violence or burn flags. Anger doesn’t solve anything, and being in an environment that’s dictated by liberal views should not give us a reason to spew hatred towards Trump as much as we want.

Just as President Barack Obama said to Trump a few days ago when they met, “The nation succeeds if you succeed.”

This shows the peaceful transfer of power by Obama, and now it is up to the American people to step up and demonstrate it themselves.

Obama has been magnanimous in this process despite his policies’ shaky future. In the past few days, we’ve even seen him and Trump set aside their past and reconcile in the public eye.

At the risk of seeming naive, perhaps we can all set aside our differences as well, and focus on how we can build a successful future with Trump in office.

K.J. is a freshman in DGS. 

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