Proud

I am proud of a lot of things. I'm proud of my country for voting YES on equality and NO on hate. I'm proud of how far we've come in 4 years (though I realize how much further we still have to go). I'm proud of myself and so many of the people I love for standing up for what we all believe in and not backing down - but doing it RESPECTFULLY. I'm proud of our President. I'm proud of my boyfriend for voting for the first time.

..but as much pride as this election filled me with, it also filled me with sadness. Sadness because of all of the hate that came out of the woodwork. I saw more racism this year than I had in 2008 - and the fact that people with these beliefs are still so prevalent just breaks my heart. I'm sad that people still can't seem to disagree without being disrespectful and hateful about it. People aren't "trash" just because they disagree with you. Not every person voted for Obama just because he is black. Democrats aren't, by definition, any more lazy than any other political party out there. People that voted Democrat aren't stupid and lazy. Hanging an effigy of the President from a noose isn't making a statement - it's ignorant and racist. Disagree if you  must...but do it without insulting others.

I'm often asked what made me vote for President Obama. Do I agree with him on 100% of the things he stands for? No. When I cast my ballot for President Obama, I was voting for the rights of women and LGBTQ people everywhere. Every American deserves the freedom of choice and every American deserves equality. Would I ever get an abortion? Absolutely not. Does that mean I have the right to tell another woman, DESPITE HER CIRCUMSTANCES, what she can and cannot do to a body that is not mine? Absolutely not. Am I gay? No, but many of the people that I love the most are. What they do in their house behind closed doors does not directly impact my life - so what right do we have to tell them that they can't get married? In the year 2012, civil rights shouldn't even be voted on.  He passed monumental health care legislation that so many presidents before him had tried with no success. He got rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell; a terrible piece of legislation that denied gays the right to be themselves and hurt civil rights. His first act in office was to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gives fair pay to women, minorities, and the disabled. Was his first term in office perfect? No, but a lot of the blame cannot fall on him. With the House being controlled by Republicans, I do think he was been beaten and backed into a corner by those who want to see him fail. He may not have changed the whole world in four years, but what he has done cannot - and SHOULD NOT - be understated.

The majority of America wanted President Obama to continue his presidency. That's it. He won the electoral college and he won the popular vote. Those are the facts. You're not going to leave the country, so stop threatening to (plus, you'd be hard pressed to find another one that actually agrees with your views). Regardless of who is in the White House and what he stands for - Americans should ALL support the office. As President Obama said on election night: "We are an American family and we rise and fall as one nation and as one people."