For the past year, America has been the star in her political drama – the 2024 presidential election. This race has been dominating the political scene, and its antics have been on full display to both those who follow politics and those who have no interest. The election was inescapable; political advertisements bashing politicians, MAGA hats and flags and Democratic yard signs and button pins — you cannot get away.
This past race has also been portrayed by both sides as a battle for the future of America; in other words, survival. Trump said that if he wasn’t elected, illegal immigrants would be welcomed into the United States to rape and pillage the American citizenry and also destroy the United States. Harris claimed that if she wasn’t elected the individual freedoms of Americans would be stripped, the Constitution dissolved and the way of American democracy ruined. Despite the rumor mill of ‘he-said, she-said’, the impacts of these rumors were very real, and their effects on the American public are undeniable. People are worried.
When Election Day, Nov. 5, came, Americans flocked to voting machines and chose Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. Trump won every swing state in the race; he won not only the electoral vote, but also the popular vote – his first time in three campaigns; and Trump will be sitting in the Oval Office come January. And while half of Americans are thankful for their ‘savior’ being elected, the other half are fearful for the United States. But with the results in, I think now is the time for Americans to take a step back from the drama of ideology during the 2024 election to look at reality.
As of writing this, it is the morning after the election. I, as a college student, woke up and got ready for class. I ate a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, accompanied by a cup of coffee. I called my family to ask what they were up to. It’s just a normal morning. But what is the purpose of me telling you this? Life goes on. Americans across the nation are irritated by early morning alarms telling them to get ready for work. Americans are still stopping at Starbucks for a macchiato, and at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich. And Americans are annoyed by the obnoxious Christmas decorations and music in stores even though November just started. We are okay.
There is a certain cause for concern regarding policies like nationwide abortion access and Trump’s isolationist foreign policy, but the domestic drama and anger emphasized by social media are mostly fictitious – and sadly, there is no sign of it ending. Opening the New York Times, the front page begrudgingly states, “Trump Storms Back.” Another example is CNN’s website’s front page, which ominously states, “Trump Retakes Power.” These are efforts by the media to try and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Americans who backed Trump’s victory, almost saying, ‘Be careful what you wish for…” But I think the claims made by media outlets are in vain; the election results are in and while we can’t change them, we can control our attitudes towards the future of the United States. Democracy is only as strong as the bond of its citizenry, and if we choose to see each other as enemies and fall to the malicious intent of our true enemies – so be it. But personally, I refuse to be a part of the problem. We need to understand each other as Americans and look past party affiliation. America is the most powerful nation on this planet, and it is only hindered by traitors who actively choose to weigh it down.
So now we find ourselves in a strange limbo. Trump is president, but half of America thinks this is the end of our ‘Great Experiment,’ and the media is making no effort to calm nerves or promote humility in anyone. And while I wish I could sit here and heal any political division, I obviously cannot. But I can point out that we’re all okay, and we can all look forward to more fun Friday nights and early Saturday morning alarms.
