You are allowed to be upset about the election results

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Millions of Americans are sharing their frustration with the results of the 2024 election. While some celebrate, others are preparing for this stark transition.

When I woke up to the news of Donald Trump winning the election, I felt a deep sense of disappointment, fear, and sadness. As I continued throughout the day, I realized I was not the only person feeling the effects of the election results. It seemed that with the weight of this news, students and faculty members were also quite devastated. With over 3,000 students enrolled at Geneseo, it somehow managed to be one of the quietest days on campus. The clouds loomed over campus, mocking the aura that surrounded the school. Classes were quiet, and homes and resident buildings were even quieter. 

You are allowed to be upset about the election results. We should be upset that our rights were on the line. We should be upset that slavery was on the ballot in two states— California and Nevada. For those of us whose rights seem to be in jeopardy, we absolutely have a right to be upset. Project 2025, otherwise known as the Presidential Transition Project, is full of conservative policies that will put a lot of people in dangerous positions. 

Project 2025 is a 900-page manifesto that aims to reorganize the federal government in order to fit a conservative agenda. Project 2025 wants to expand presidential power to independent agencies, such as the Department of Justice, eliminate the Department of Education, ban abortion nationwide, end birthright citizenship —which will result in the separation of families by mass deportation— and end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools and government departments.

This is mortifying. As a woman of color— I am terrified. What does this mean for the personal aspiration for the future we built for ourselves? What is to come in the next four years if this plan is implemented? What happened to not going back? As I went about my day, these were the only things that occupied my mind. I was not only upset, I was furious, along with millions of other Americans who watched their one chance at history being made slip away. 

My rights feel on the line —my sister's rights, my mother’s, grandmother’s, and even my great-grandmother’s rights— jeopardized over what? A candidate so far removed from the realities and struggles of the American people that he was willing to sacrifice our livelihood for his outrageous policies? To me, we prioritized a candidate with dreams of being a dictator over Harris, someone I deem objectively far too qualified compared to her opposing presidential candidates. 

So yes, when Donald Trump won the election, I was angry. I was riddled with emotions I had hoped to never feel again. I hoped I would not have to experience another four years of the presidency under Trump— under his conservative policies, his declining economy, or his cult-like following. If you know someone who voted against your rights, do not waste your energy fighting with this person(s). Give yourself time and space from those people, and seek solidarity from those who are also going through the motions of this election. Diving into these conversations with a disturbed headspace can cause more harm to yourself if you are not careful. Now is the time to prioritize building a community that can serve as a support system. Do not lose hope— not yet.

If you are interested in learning more about Project 2025 and its policy agenda, it is available on its website for all to see. Please read this carefully and consider how it may affect you and others. Not only that, but know you are entitled to your opinions, but you are not entitled to spread hatred/malice because of them.