Open Letter to Trump

Dear Mr. Donald J. Trump,

I hope your week has been better than mine. The morning after you were elected was the second worst day of my life. I fell asleep crying, and woke up with swollen eyes and a heart filled with pain. I was not mentally prepared for your “victory.” To be quite honest, I treated you as a joke for the entirety of your campaign. I remember sitting in my AP Government course, laughing at the thought of you making it past the primaries. Yet here we are now, with you as the soon-to-be leader of our country.

Since this is an open letter, I want you to know that I am still angry. I am angry because your win brought to light the amount of people in this country who believe in all that you represent: narcissism, sexism, bigotry, hatred, and plenty of more inexcusable ideals. I am angry because you brought fear into my life, and into the lives of so many people I love. I am angry because so many of your supporters have attacked me, and those like me who are still grieving, for being “dramatic.”

 Mr. Trump, can you see what you have begun? Some people actually have the audacity to call others “dramatic” for expressing their genuine terror over their future. We have a right to be concerned. We have a right to grieve. We have a right to be angry. You, and all of your supporters, do not have the right to try and validate what we are feeling. You and your supporters have already taken away so much from us, but you all cannot take away what makes us human.

Mr. Trump, can tell me what it is like to be so privileged? To overlook every hateful thing a presidential candidate has said because it will not ever effect you? I will never know that feeling. There are people who were able to sleep comfortably that Tuesday night, and who will continue to sleep comfortably for the nights to come. Those like me will still have lingering paranoia about what our future will look like. Those like you will have very little worries, if not any. But, there is one great thing to come out of this shameful reality.

The one thing you, or your supporters, will never have is the ability to rise and fight. Aside from my anger, I have hope. Hope that my people, and other minorities, will see the light of day. My people are smart, strong, and determined. We see more than ever that it is the time to fight for our country. OUR country. The country of immigrants. The country of multiple religions. The country of many races and many forms of love. The country that deserves to actually be great for the first time in its history. Your win showed America was never great, but now my people, those fighting for our lives, can make it great.

Mr. Trump, you have sparked a revolution. You have set a fire inside of millions who are dedicated to making sure your four years, and Congress’ four years, are not easy. We have a right to be angry, and we have a right to rally for our freedom. Some say you only said certain things to gain votes, and that makes me feel pity for your voters, but it only adds reason to why we need to fight for our country. We can never let this happen again. ¡Viva La Revolución! Our momentum has just begun, and our fight for justice will be beautiful.