It only took hours after the 2016 election results were announced for protests to begin throughout the country. Citizens throughout the country expressed their anger on Facebook and Twitter, across cities and school campuses to express their fear, frustrations and anger over the upcoming Trump presidency. However, these protests are ineffective in their mission and continue dividing our country after what have been the most controversial 18 months in our history.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered and carry the refrain “love trumps hate” to express their sentiment towards the president-elect. Protests and marches declare their opposition to any erosion of rights for immigrants and people of different races, faith traditions, gender identification, sexual orientation and physical ability. Although many protests have been peaceful, others have been violent. Protesters at a riot in Portland began smashing car windows, throwing objects at police officers, and one person was injured in a shooting during the protest. These protesters say that “love trumps hate,” however their actions are showing anything but love.

There is always going to be a losing party and a divided nation when it comes to politics, but how effective are anti-Trump rallies in regards to expressing their emotions? Waving around signs and reciting chants shows one’s sentiment towards Trump, but these protests will not change the election results. Some believed that because the electoral college did not vote until December, there was still hope for a Clinton Administration. However, the electoral college cast a majority of their votes for Trump, so as a country we must accept that Trump is the 45th president of the United States.

The hashtag #notmypresident has also been trending on social media and the saying has been a major chant throughout protests. How do we expect our country and our government to succeed if we do not accept the leaders who represent us? How can we grow as a country if we are still in a stage of denial over the fact that we have entered a Trump administration?

An election for a country should be an inspiring time where citizens come together to see what the future of America will look like. It serves as hope that we can only continue growing as a country and work together while showing our patriotism for the country we love. But when a protest on Veterans Day involved burning the American flag, then the issue became more rooted in hate than our country ever imagined.

Clipper Kyle tweeted “I hope Donald Trump is a good president. Wanting him to fail, is like wanting the pilot to crash the plane that we ALL are on. REMEMBER THAT.” Although this election proved to our country that we are more divided than we ever imagined, it proves that the United States can only be stronger when its people are united as one. The United States must not let our views over a Trump residency, whether it be anger or joy, tear us apart as a country. America has too much at stake.