As I blew out my birthday candles Nov. 8, I wished with all of my heart for anyone but Trump to be elected the next president of the United States. My wish did not come true.

I will admit that when I found out the results of the election, I cried. I want to make something clear. I am not some sniveling, butthurt, privileged liberal whining about how “unfair” this is. I cry tears of despair because I fear for the implications that his election and its outcome will bring. I have already seen some of the things that I feared become a reality.

I’m certainly not happy with the results of this election, but I love my country and I have faith in the government and our democracy. Because of this, I can learn to accept that Trump is now president. However, what I absolutely can’t accept is our newly warped culture and the actions that people now deem as okay. One of my closest friends came to school Nov. 9 and received numerous glares from people she didn’t know and had never spoken to. One person even yelled, “Trump” at her.

My friend’s name is Obsee Abbajabal ’19. She has been living in Johnston for most of her life and she wears a hijab. Prior to the election, in all the years she has lived here, she had never faced such outright hostility.

I am shocked and angered beyond words that any person could behave this way towards another person. Since when has that kind of behavior ever been okay? Why should Trump’s election change what it means to be a decent human being? I grew up surrounded by the values of love, kindness and acceptance. From a young age, I knew I had to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. I knew to always treat others with the respect that all human beings deserve even if I didn’t agree with them, especially if I didn’t agree with them. I still have some faith in humanity so I’m guessing that most people were raised with these values as well. It amazes me that these upbringings were completely thrown out the window following the election of Donald Trump.

As a Chinese American and person of color, I have felt uneasy and on-edge ever since Donald Trump was elected. Obsee and her family now live in a state of fear. No one should have to feel this way but I, Obsee and countless other people now live in this mindset because people now believe that certain actions are acceptable.

I am extremely dissapointed with how the school has handed itself after the election. It is the perfect time to teach students how to have civil conversations about these important matters, and allow them to have constructive discussions. Students need to learn that their opinions may differ from the opinions of others, but it doesn’t have to end in a war.

The school should have been doing this, and taken this valuable opportunity to educate their students reiterate kindness, but instead they did absolutely nothing. In doing so, they have endangered some of their students and made them feel unsafe. This is damage that can never be undone. As human beings, we all deserve to be treated with respect, and that should never change no matter who is president.