The President of the United States of America is undoubtedly the most iconic title in the world. You would be far reached to find someone on this planet who does not recognize the president, or at least something associated with the office.
Whether you voted for Governor Romney or President Obama, Barack Obama is now the next president of the U.S. Even if you hate this fact with every fiber of your being and somehow believe Obama will plunge our society into a socialistic state of hell on earth, he is our president for four more years. Despite what you all may think, our country is not going to implode. I promise you.
What does this mean to you as an American citizen? It means he will represent you through thick and thin. He will hear your voice as an American. He will do his best to take this country to a better place than what it has been. Just like any president would do. Honestly, it means not much will change for you.
I can promise you Obama’s goal is not to run America into the ground. If Romney had been elected, he would try to make this country better, too.
What I think most people should understand is the concept of respect. Obama is the president of our country. He deserves respect, whether you agree with his policies or not. The military is a perfect example of this. Whether it agrees with the current president or not, it swore to serve this country and obey its commander in chief. In much the same way, you as citizens should give your respect to the president.
For the most part,the rest of the world looks to our country as a model of democracy and liberty. There is good reason for this. We have arguably the best system of political transition in the world. Ever since the beginning of our nation, we have had only peaceful transitions.
You must realize how lucky we are to have this. In many countries around the world, it takes a revolution or civil uprising to simply change the head of government. We, thankfully, do not have that problem here in the U.S.
Now I want to ask you a question that is simple, yet the answer profoundly affects our country. Did you vote? I sincerely hope you did. If you could not set aside a small portion of your day to do your duty as an American, you have no right to complain about the result of this election.
In my opinion, if you did not vote, that is the greatest dishonor you could have done to our great nation. According to militaryfactory.com, roughly 1.31 million Americans have lost their lives defending the freedoms we enjoy today.
Even if you feel like your vote would not count because you vote democratic in a red state (or vice versa), it is still imperative you make your voice heard. Exercising your voice to the government that represents you is a fundamental principal this democracy is based upon. To sit back and take that freedom for granted is a terrible thing.
Throughout this election season in general, but specifically last night, I have seen many people’s true colors come to light. I can honestly say I am ashamed to know some people I do.
I saw statuses and tweets ranging from simple ignorance to pure racism. I know people who dislike Obama solely for the fact he is black (although some have used the derogatory slur to describe him). As John F. Kennedy said, “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”
If you were a Romney supporter and managed to conduct yourself with civility, I applaud you. For all those who resorted to demeaning posts, I ask you, what was accomplished by them? If you stayed up late enough to watch Romney’s concession speech I feel many of you would have been impressed.
It was as if the Romney who gave that speech was a different man than the one who campaigned over these many months.
Romney was humble and gracious in his concession speech. His words were elegant and his message was striking, and was one we can all learn from. He urged the president to work with all Americans, not just to play party politics. In defeat we saw a Romney from whom many of his supporters can learn.
Oh, and I swear, even with Obama receiving four more years in the White House, America will survive.