"Well, folks, Trump just gave his victory speech. Hillary called him to concede. It's over. And it's just beginning, too. I left my showing of "Doctor Strange" tonight and feel like I walked through a portal and into one of those multiverse alternate worlds in the film.
"With all of the sincerity I can muster, which I don't always do here on FB, I'm floored. I know many of you if not most of you are, too. Some are angry, saddened, or just in shock. I don't blame you.
"For the third straight presidential election, the ticket I voted for did not win. I supported Scott Walker and Carly Fiorina till they dropped out, then Marco Rubio, ultimately Ted Cruz in the primaries, and then Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn in the election today. Many of us on the right saw the rise of Trump and said, "Not on our watch." He won anyway. #ThatHappened
"Along with the Challenger disaster of 1986 and the terrorist attacks of 9-11-01, I believe tonight will turn out to be one of those "Where were you when . . . ?" moments of our lifetimes. It's historic, but in the way few expected. I honestly expected a Clinton landslide.
"When people threaten to leave the United States if a certain candidate wins, it's silly and childish, though. Dollars to doughnuts, if you think other nations have it better than we do here (with apologies to my cousins in Great Britain and my many friends in Peru - my two other favorite nations of the Earth), you've not spent enough time outside of its borders. In my experience, I've lived in and traveled to countries over three continents, and there's still nowhere on Earth like the USA. That is why everyone wants to come here. That is why we have the phrase "the American dream." That's what my Danish ancestors fought to give me here and what my mother dreamed of as an immigrant herself.
"To paraphrase a friend of mine, back when Barack Obama won eight years ago: We should now root for Trump to succeed. His country is our country; and it's the only one we've got. If he succeeds, we succeed; if he fails, we fail. In four more years, we have another chance to hold him accountable for his successes or failures, as our Constitution outlines. We have a system of checks and balances that will hold him accountable until that time comes, through the men and women of Congress we also elected today. The Founding Fathers were wise, nay, inspired in the system they created. The ball's in your court, GOP: For all the criticisms levied at Obama for the past eight years, here's your chance to put your money where your mouth is with the trust now handed to you, or you could lose it again soon.
"If you don't like the way things are, get involved. Don't "boo," as Pres. Obama said recently. If you're already involved, keep at it. Speak your mind, and not just on Facebook or Twitter. Get out and run for office, or campaign for those who share your values. Hand out fliers, go door to door, or go to rallies. Show those who might foolishly and carelessly use the label "sore loser" that you are not one; that you accept the will of the people, just as you would have done had your candidate won and you would've been a gracious winner.
"If you're frustrated or upset, and those feelings *are* valid, consider how others have been frustrated or upset on occasions when your candidates have won and theirs have lost. Are their feelings valid, too? I know several people who voted for Trump, and none are racists nor sexists nor a handful of other terms they've been labeled. They're not. Like you, they've tried to follow their consciences and just do the right thing, or at least the best they could with the options they were given. This is no more the end of the world than some people on my side claimed when Obama was elected.
"This is not perfectly written, but these are my thoughts at this time. I'm not looking for an argument. I sense an epic (improv) game of "Rant" on social media tomorrow. If you want to discuss any of these points, let's talk soon. You name it, I'll make time for it. I've prayed several times today for my country. Ultimately, our only hope lies not in Trump nor Obi-Wan Kenobi but in Almighty God. How wonderful that we live in a land, a place I believe God our Father had a direct hand in founding, where we can have these discussions, learn from our mistakes, build on common ground, and strive both collectively and individually to be better.
"Onward we go."
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