I share this viewpoint in honor of every voice.
The votes were tallied on November 5, 2024- Election Day. In January, Donald Trump will take office once again. From the electoral college vote, it was a close race between Trump and Harris with an 86-vote difference. As of Friday, November 8, Trump maintained the popular vote. As days have passed since the election, the election still evokes many strong thoughts and feelings for people around the country and world. However, your voice still matters as others, so it is important to respect viewpoints beyond your own.
Photo by Julia Chagnot
The weekend following the election, I went to Washington, D.C., for a family friend’s wedding. With the intention of touring the city, a family member had reached out to me to let me know that the city might not be safe, but family members who work in D.C. said that so far since the election, the city had seemed safe. Though the probability of safety was up in the air, I thought the windows would be boarded up in preparation for rioting and government buildings would have protection gates. This scenario could make for an interesting article. To my surprise, the measures for protection that the news had been discussing weren't there. The public had remained civil through an election that held heavy change for the country.
Our voices are what drive our country, and these voices continue to be evident on Election Day. Once you’ve processed your emotions, you’ll no doubt find ways to maintain your voice. Even if you feel the election didn’t pan out the way you had hoped, there are many ways to have a voice. One example could be to use social media to amplify your voice and raise awareness on policies you’re worried about. If you feel it will be difficult to process your emotions and find your voice again, you can always check in with the Counseling Center. You can reach out to counseling@baypath.edu and check this link for more information.
As we continue to process our emotions surrounding the change, we must remember to stay respectful of one another. At the end of the day, the fact is, we are all entitled to our own opinions. We need to remember that here at Bay Path University, one of our best qualities is community. We’re all here to pursue a major that we’re passionate about and achieve our dream job. To do that, we need collaboration and empowerment from one another. We don’t have to keep our opinions to ourselves. We should respect other people’s thoughts and feelings to keep our community a safe and respectful space.
Just as the public remained calm and respectful in our Nation’s Capital, it’s important that we keep our campus environment the same way. There’s no need to hide and guard ourselves. From what I’ve observed in my classes, we’ve all remained understanding and kind towards one another. We need to maintain this community and pass it on as an example for younger generations to keep kindness and our voices alive in our ever-changing country.
