Stephanie A. Wankowicz

To my Democrat friends

Multiple tears streamed down my face as I went to bed on Tuesday night. I thought that history would be made Tuesday night. History was made, but not the history I was hoping for.

As the day progressed on Wednesday, the social media posts about the election upset started to increase. Then the protests started with people chanting, ‘Not my President’. Then there were stories about how to change the outcome of the election by having portions of the electoral college change their vote from Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton.

Now, think back to a couple of weeks ago when President-Elect Trump stated he might not accept the outcome of the election. Democrats went MAD. Respect the system, respect the process, respect the country. The President-Elect was saying that it was a rigged system, and we all said no. It is fair. It is truthful. It has seen us through many elections in the past and it will continue to in the future.

We need to accept the election. We live in a democracy that voted and chose him. We cannot change something that has already happened. We cannot manipulate and buy the electoral college votes to rig the election in our factor. That is what dictators who rig elections do.

We should be upset about the things the President-Elect said, upset about his policies. We need to focus on fighting the bigotry that has overwhelmed our county. We need to protest and protect our fellow citizen’s rights. We can and SHOULD productively work for things you believe in. We can volunteer for an organization. We can make sure people going to Planned Parenthood are safe. We can stand up for our Black and Brown neighbors. We can plant a tree. We can recycle. We need to move forward and make the best country we can with the cards we have been dealt.

But we cannot try to change the outcome of this election. He is our President-Elect. Now is our time to reflect, talk, listen, and learn.