Editorial: I'm With Him?

Donald J. Trump is President-elect of the United States of America.

Yes, those words are fact. 

That is not the lede I wished to write this morning, but it is an undeniable truth. And while I did not support him as a candidate, and though I find his actions, words, and arrogance to be deplorable - he is not the anti-christ, nor is he a Stalin reboot, or Hitler 2.0. He is the 45th President of these United States, and to deny him of that title or its due respect would be an unfortunate abortion of our core values as Americans. 

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We were all - at least the decent among us - digusted by the discourse that unfolded during the past 18 months. The rhetoric, the fear-mongering, the baseless claims from "Decision 2016" have all made us weaker as a nation. Today, we start to rebuild the damage thart has been done to our collective social progress and our national morale. 

Let's not allow this discourse to continue. I plead with you - remain objective, but don't blindly follow. Lead when leadership is required, formulate new ideals rather than accept status quo, and seek progress rather than stagnation. The cards have been dealt, and it's time to play our hand. 

If anything, this election has taught us that we are not well. The American way of life is at stake, and maybe it is time to let it die peacefully. We have become too invested in "the good ol' days," losing sight of the present, and more importantly - the future. We have a way of misremembering our past, only carrying forward the sentiments we like, and conveniently discarding realities. 

This election has also taught us that we are not ready for a woman as President. And I say that not out of judgement, but out of perception. In 2008, we were barely ready for a black (male) President, and many of his oponents have used thinly-veiled racism as critical talking points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was percieved to be dishonest, untrustworthy, and self-serving. To me, that sounds like an apt description for pretty much every presidential candidate since before Lincoln. But we, as Americans, can not look past female politicians of moral terpitude. We just can't. Not yet, at least. 

So, now that the table has been set, we have two choices - and neither are wrong. We can either sit down and eat, or turn over the table, letting the fine china shatter on the floor below. What we can't do as a nation, is loathe. We can't cry. We can not pout about life being unfair. That is not a progressive path. It is selfish and unseemly. 

If we hope to prosper, if we hope to "make America great again," we have to enter into this Presidency with an open mind, with the willingness to accept the unknown. We must be willing to discard the good ol' days, and work to build a propitious future. Catatonia is not an option. That is submission. 

Americans do not submit. We prosper. 

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