On: President Donald Trump

Disclaimer: I didn't vote for President Trump, but he is the President and a huge part of me wants desperately for him to succeed... not to break a mold or to shove it to corrupt politics but because if he does, then the people and nation will be succeeding to a certain degree too. 

Dear Mr. President Elect,

You have been elected, the majority has spoken … and now you have asked us to rally behind you, regardless of where our individual votes were cast; I genuinely agree that it’s our part of the deal, in a free democratic election, we should rally behind the victor. So Mr. Trump, I’m rallying; but please don’t forget your part of the deal. You promised us we’d never be forgotten again and that you’d lead each and every one of us. You may not personally value or place import on the things I do, but your end of the bargain revolves around listening to our voices.

To start, this is what (our voices) are saying:

1.     RESPECT is RECIPROCAL

I have always been upset with the idea that we could take to the internet and just say whatever we pleased about anyone – let alone – the president of the United States, it used to be considered treasonous to defame and advertise bitter, hurtful, opinionated things about our leaders. But one day we all started accepting this behavior, we started demonstrating it ourselves and teaching our youth that it was okay. Mr. Trump, you’re a parent, what example did you lead? My parents raised me to understand that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Not too long ago you sat carelessly somewhere and published your not-so-kind opinion of President Barrack Obama.

(@realDonaldTrump: “President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States.” — Donald J Trump )

And Mr. Trump, just yesterday you wrote this: (@realDonaldTrump: “Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media are protesting. Very unfair!”  —Donald J Trump

My generation doesn't feel comfortable when you act like a hypocrite- or speak like a toddler and just spit out your first thought without consulting the frontal lobes. It is both wasteful and a bit naïve to expect your experience and transition into presidency to be warm when you've never rallied behind a leader. You are not deserving of  more respect than your predecessor, especially when you were not respectful yourself. 

It was you, after all, who willingly antagonized and ridiculed others. Mr. Trump, how come your behavior bashing a president should be tolerated but the reciprocal behavior is: as you call it, “Very unfair”? 

I learned about winning and losing when I was 9 years old,  and I learned not to name call even younger than that. So please educate me, why is bullying ok for you and why is your win more deserving of applause?  If you had held yourself to those same standards, protesting your win would have been seen as very unfair; I think the word you may be looking for is IRONY. You attracted that response with your own energy. If you really meant that you wanted to heal and unite this nation, a little humility is a good place to start.

The good news, every minute is chance for you to turn it all around; I am rallying, not because I agree with everything that you do, but because it's the right thing to do, and I will treat you as I would want to be treated. My generation has a lot to teach you, including that respect is something you can earn. You don't take respect and you're not born with it.

2.     We CARE about the FUTURE of the PLANET

Yesterday, I provoked some of my friends on Facebook to talk about climate change; I wanted to know their take on some of the implications derived from the science and the hype. What they wrote was elegant, caring, and informed responses. Their summary of a very large, confusing issue sounds like this:

 Dear Mr. President,

Please take care of our environment; please understand that more severe weather patterns, violently, colder winters and more catastrophic natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires are the result of climate change. It is impossible not to see the damage human beings have caused. Our planet needs to be a priority. If we don't care about clean energy, and we don’t advance our thinking, irreparable damage is certainly the gamble we are taking. Climate change is not as simple as you seem to think it is, try to understand it differently.  It‘s not this ‘black and white’, ‘the whole planet isn't just a few degrees warmer’ kind of problem. The planet depends on you and your choices; after you have gone from this world, we will still be here. Please Mr. Trump, educate yourself. You now have access to some of the most gifted minds; you can take incredibly informed advice; please don't let us down.

Yours Sincerely,
      The FUTURE

3.     Be OPEN-MINDED

“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t yet.” —Bill Nye

There are people out there who elected you because you’re different, because government had become so elite, it was made up of wealthy, lawyers who were professionally trained to fight with each other. Debate skills and argumentativeness are valued in the practice of law, but you aren’t trained, therein lies the great hope, the HOPE that you will rise to this occasion and become our voice.

With this vote people seem to be saying: "We" don’t want any more fighting; we don’t want money moving big decisions and we don't want politics to be about whichever team has the most lobbying dollars  –  we want and need change! We need a new definition for politician. and we hope it's you. By electing you, we have made it abundantly clear that we don’t care that you’ve been crude, we don’t care about her emails, or about your young wife, we don’t care that she’s an immigrant vs. your stance on immigration.  We actually don’t care about any of your double standards – ignorant as they may be – we just don’t care. But even you, Mr. Trump will need to rise above, otherwise you will only serve yourself.

The people seem to be sending a message...what we do care about is: the issue that affect our daily lives; we care about rebuilding a government that works for everyone, the elite are fine. We need a representative that can be person before a right or left viewpoint.  We care about finding a path to unity; race and religion shouldn’t come between us—not anymore—we know better. We have to figure out how to trust each other and we need to rip off that band-aid. No no! NEVER FORGET, but – it’s impossible to heal when you carry it around with you. We care about the environment, and the world we leave behind for our kids and future generations. We care about being safe and about working hard towards each and every one of our tiny goals; it shouldn’t be so difficult to find work.

The vote happened, and I'm not one to throw bricks or fight fire with fire, but Please Mr. Trump, be open-minded and think of us, so many of us struggle to pay student loans and struggle to make ends meet, we look at you and we just can’t relate, what must it be like to never wonder how you will pay for the food or keep the heat on. Please honor that vow you took after winning the election.

p.s. I am willing to turn it all around,  I'll go first: I'm sorry I put that silly image online of you looking like a clown, if it's hurtful, I'll remove it.

-A xx