By: Ian Bernstein ’18

Dear America,

I don’t understand. Please don’t leave me; I have nowhere to go, no one else to turn to. The recent breach of troubled waters in your democratic foundation has changed you. You’re unrecognizable.

I have been blindsided by the regressive values which have begun to flow into the basement of your government, eroding its load-bearing pillar of equality. This situation calls for evacuation, yet you are trapped by the incessant and seemingly appealing racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, and homophobia exhibited by your president-elect and vice president-elect, but I’m afraid I can’t save you from your self-induced flood.

If you think that economic reform can be your knight in shining armor, I respectfully and passionately object; the prioritization of human rights promises the best exit from the inundation of prejudice, and in turn, bolsters the foundation of democracy to prevent further ruptures in its walls. On the contrary, if human rights are endangered, equality is endangered, and a gaping hole is left in democracy, exposing it to the torrential downpour of hatred and thus resulting in even more flooding.

Instead of sitting back and biting our fingernails as we watch our president-elect toy with equality, the most fundamental value of our nation, we must remain persistent in our efforts to ensure that love trumps hate.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.”

Given Lincoln’s wise words, we must not call all of the president-elect’s supporters racist, homophobic, misogynistic, etc. Much of Trump’s support solely stems from the need for economic change, and you must understand that it is perfectly valid for someone who has been struggling financially for years under the apparent burden of the blue-collar to want economic change. I respect the needs of the marginalized victims of our economy, and you should too.

Political ideologies aside, we must acknowledge that insults are only going to divide our nation further; we need to act respectfully and knowledgeably instead of hurling unfounded insults.

Although you have let me down, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Until next time, America.