An Open Letter To My Fellow Democrats and Americans

President Elect Donald Trump, publicity photo

(Is it me or does he look tired? and a normal color?)

I love that we are protesting but it's too late to change what has happened and we have to deal with that fact. Where were we 16 months ago when Trump announced his candidacy? We should have been there, protesting instead of taking it as a joke.

I fault myself for his Presidency. I thought like many of us did that it was a joke, and that this celebutante had no chance of winning the Republican nomination. We should have taken it seriously, we took Ben Carson seriously (and he's a big joke) we should have taken Trump seriously. Anyone that throws his/her hat into the Presidential arena, with the amount of free time, money and public backing that Trump had at the time, should be taken seriously.

Hillary Clinton, DNC 2016

Another reason that I fault myself and Democrats as a whole for this Presidency, is we didn't do enough for Hillary Clinton. We were frightened by what could happen if we spoke up for her, especially being a woman. I was terrified of the backlash that could happen if I showed my support for Mrs. Clinton. We as a progressive country failed Mrs.Clinton and for that I apologize. I let fear hold me down and not speak up for myself as a woman or as an American. Women! Our voices matter, especially now. I cannot and will not let my daughter be told that she is any less than a man and I will not let her country tell her that she is any less of an American.

The protesting that we are doing now will not help unless we protest in the right ways. What are the right ways? We get involved, push forward for a progressive, inclusive America. We don't let fear hold us hostage any longer. If our Democratic leaders don't fight for us every step of the way, we push them out of the way and fight for ourselves. We do not let Trump take advantage of us letting our guard down. We do not allow Trump to spew hatred, misogyny, and racism as his tool to scare us back in line. We stand up and say NO. We are a country of the people, for the people and we can do much better than hate. Trump said in his acceptance speech that he wants to work together and unify our country, I say we call him on that and unify in a way that he doesn't expect. We come together as a country to say that no matter if you're a woman, a man, African American, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist, Indian, American Indian, LGBTQ American, White American, etc., we are for ALL of us. Not just a fraction of us. We keep fighting for the America that we want. We don't run away to another country, we stay and we fight for the America that we want: An Inclusive nation. It is what our Forefathers set out to do. As Alexander Hamilton sings in Hamilton "I am not throwing away my shot/Hey yo, I'm just like my country/I'm young, scrappy and hungry/And I am not throwing away MY shot."  America is our shot and we can NOT throw it away.

We also have to preserve President Obama's legacy as much as we can. President Obama gave us so much, that I have no idea how to thank him for the sacrifices that he and his family have made, except to say, Mr.President your legacy will not be lost. I will fight to preserve it, the roads that you begin to pave for America's way forward will continue, we will keep fighting to be the great nation that we have always been, we will rise up and be the Americans that you want us to be. Thank you for your service to our great country, it has been an honor to have you as our President.