Dear editor,
After listening to the carrying on of the media and the so-called celebrities; after watching idiots (yes, that's what you are) burning other people's property in a temper tantrum — grow the hell up.
College students being given time off from classes because they are too “fragile” to handle the disappointment — seriously? Folks, this is what you've created: an entire generation that has grown up getting gold stars just for breathing. Kids who played games where no one kept score because having to accept a loss, well, that would damage them.
Reality check: Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. That's is life.
If what I'm seeing play out on the news feed is supposed to win me over to the 'liberal' way of thinking, no thank you. So-called protesters yelling that we should kill people because of how they voted; vandalizing property — no you aren't fragile at all. You are being an unmitigated brat.
To those folks, I say, suck it up buttercup. It happened and it's over.
This is the time that you need to stand up and turn off the reality TV; put the bloody phone down. Twitter will wait and the world won't end if you don't stay connected every single second to an electronic device. America has an election for president once every four years. One side will win and the other will lose. People will not agree with one side and will support the other.
It happens. Get over it.
The American people went out and voted. Whether you voted for the winner or not, you exercised your right as a citizen of this great country. It is now your duty to define what that country is going to look like. Are you going to be a patriot and support this country? Are you going to speak words that heal and help?
We need now, more than ever, to prove that we are not defined by wins and losses but rather from our determination to make this country great. We need to reach out to each other, not with derision but with encouragement.
Both candidates were gracious in their victory and in their defeat; should we be any less gracious to each other? People will not always agree, and that's okay! Seek a common ground instead of repeating the drivel that spews from mainstream media.
Start demanding that your information sources be, among other things, unbiased. They should provide information and keep their opinions to themselves.
Put that damned phone down and pay attention to the world around you.
What needs to be done?
What are the needs of your home?
Your street?
Your town?
Your county?
Your state?
I have no respect for those who say they'll move out of the country now. If that's how you truly feel, then please don't let the door hit you on the way out. But if, and it's way more likely, you're simply trying to get noticed, then go sit in the corner and color.
Let the real patriots, those folks on both sides of the aisle who love this country and cherish our freedoms, get on with the work of bringing us back together.
And if someone unfriends you because of your beliefs, then they weren't your friend to begin with. You are better off without them.
Take a moment and grieve if you must or celebrate if you want to. It's time to move on and deal with the events of today. You don't get to deal with tomorrow because that isn't promised to you and you can't do anything about yesterday.
Today, folks; it's a gift — that's why it's called the present!
You can either sit there and bemoan the events or you can stand up, dust yourself off and be a part of the solution — whatever that turns out to be.
MARGARET STEWART
Crestview
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Take cues from Clinton and Trump — be gracious; find common ground