A House Divided

Photo obtained through Google Commons.

(Google Commons)

Photo obtained through Google Commons.

Election season has come and gone, and it is now time to get back to reality, and realize that we all are, and always have been, Americans. The political divide has prevailed and strengthened over the course of the past year, but it is about time we put it behind us.

As everyone knows, Donald Trump was elected our nation’s 45th president in a highly controversial election; so controversial, in fact, that protests have spread in opposition to the president-elect. We, as a staff, fully support the American right to protest, and as long as we live we will fight to protect it, but there also comes a time when we must realize what battles are worth fighting.

As much as we support the right to protest, we also support everyone’s right to vote for any candidate. In this instance, the victor was Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton may have won the popular vote, but due to an electoral college system designed to equally incorporate the smallest states, Trump rose victoriously. Protesting the result of the election is merely protesting a system and ideal that our founding fathers fought so dearly to protect.

As there is no legitimate way to reverse the results of the election, the time has come to accept the results and to take action to make the country better. Democrats and Republicans alike must now come together to ensure that our American values are not infringed upon, as would be expected even if the results were reversed. The American government was established based on a separation of powers, and part of this power must come from the people.

The results of the election are final, but the future of the country is not. It is time for Americans to come together and establish the changes we hope to see in our country. We are not defined by a donkey or an elephant, but rather by our ideals and our willingness to fight in order to protect them. Under any president, Americans must initiate action to protect our freedoms and ensure a safe and prosperous future.

Our country was founded by rebels who were pursuing a standard of living that they found fair, and 240 years later, we are not, and never will be, above this. So forget your party title, but never forget your ideals, because long after an election is over, change must still be sought in order to maintain a thriving nation. Together, as Americans, we are at our strongest, so go out and make change happen, because if nobody is willing to see it through, nothing will ever come of it.

Editorial Board Vote:

Agreed – 6, Disagreed – 0