The Presidential election left millions upset and confused. Many Americans were forced to explain the unexpected decision to their children. How could a man who has led an entire campaign by spewing hate and divisive language, be the President of the United States.
Despite the widespread confusion, President Obama, who had been an avid supporter of Hillary Clinton, still managed to muster up a few wise words for his daughters.
“What I say to them is that people are complicated,” the President said, during a New Yorker profile. “Societies and cultures are really complicated…This is not mathematics; this is biology and chemistry. These are living organisms, and it’s messy. And your job as a citizen and as a decent human being is to constantly affirm and lift up and fight for treating people with kindness and respect and understanding.”
Since the decision has been announced, it seems like a dark cloud has been cast over this country. There have been reports of hateful acts against minorities and Muslims. There have been Anti-Trump protests flooding the streets of America’s major cities. But, in the event, that one is caught in the cross fire of bigotry and hate, President Obama says, don’t give up and keep moving forward.
“And you should anticipate that at any given moment there’s going to be flare-ups of bigotry that you may have to confront, or may be inside you and you have to vanquish. And it doesn’t stop…You don’t get into a fetal position about it. You don’t start worrying about apocalypse. You say, O.K., where are the places where I can push to keep it moving forward.”
Although President Obama provided the comforting words for his two maturing daughters, it is something we all needed to hear.
