What will you do now, Mr. Trump?
After a long and hard-fought campaign, you have won the election and will become the 45th president of our country in less than two months. While I cannot celebrate in this victory of yours, I am also trying not to despair at this turn of events. I want to give you a chance. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, and I believe that there are many others out there who want to as well. But for us to be able to do that, we need to know what you are going to do now regarding the many issues that make us fear you, your supporters, and your presidency.
Right now, we have a very divided nation, and you are right to say that we need to work towards uniting together once more. However, it is you who must show us the path that will make this possible. You are now responsible for the safety and happiness of over 300 million people—not just the people who voted for you on Election Day. What will do you to address the very real fears and concerns of half the country? Are you willing to work with us to create a safe, united nation? You talk about wanting to unify the country, but it was you who divided us to begin with, and it is you who now needs to address our concerns.
What are you going to do for the two men who, after loving one another for 20 years, were finally able to marry each other last summer? What are you going to do to address their fears that, under your presidency, their marriage and their love will once again be considered invalid and illegal?
What are you going to do to protect the young woman who was drugged and raped while on a date? What are you going to do to stop the injustice that allows so many rapists to walk free with little to no punishment? What are you going to do to address the fears of women across the country that, under your presidency, their rights to equality and their own body will no longer matter?
What are you going to do to help the Muslim man who was strip-searched at the airport simply because of his religious beliefs? What are you going to do to address the fears of the entire American-Muslim community that, under your presidency, their lives are in danger because of the hate your campaign brought out in your supporters?
What are you going to do to protect the child who is bullied and beaten up on a daily basis at school because she is transgendered and does not have a safe place to go to the bathroom? What are you going to do to address the fears of her parents that, under your presidency, she might end up murdered for simply being herself?
What are you going to do to save the life of the woman on the kidney transplant list who is dependent on the current healthcare system in order to stay alive? What are you going to do address her fear that, starting next year, she will no longer have healthcare and will die?
What are you going to do to protect the African-American man who lives in a racist neighborhood? What are you going to do to stop him from being shot and killed by the police while doing absolutely nothing wrong? What are you going to do to address his fears that, under your presidency, the amount of hate and racism directed at him will continue to increase?
What are you going to do for the children born in America to parents who entered our country illegally? What are you going to do to address their fears that, under your presidency, their families will be torn apart?
What are you going to do about the millions of people in this country who do not believe that any of these fears and concerns matter? What are you going to do during your presidency that will help to spread acceptance, equality, and compassion across the country?
You are going to become the president of not just your supporters, but of everyone. You are going to become the president of people with very justifiable fears for their safety and their happiness. What are you going to do to make all of us feel safe again? Are you willing to work with us? Are you willing to try to see the world from our side of the issues? Are you willing to make an effort to bring us all together? Because if you are unwilling to help us, you will never be able to unite us. If you are unwilling to be the president for all of the people, half of the people that you now represent will get left behind. And while I want to believe that you really do want to make this country great, it is hard to do so when the actions you currently plan to take as president will only divide our nation more. So please, for those who are very afraid of what your presidency will bring, tell us: What will you do for us now, Mr. President?
