One word, four syllables, fourteen letters; that is all it takes to describe my opinion of this election and on the morning of Nov. 9, that same word also embodied the emotions of millions across America as Donald Trump was elected President.

That word is disappointment. It was disappointment in the results, but largely it was in our country, in its citizens and ultimately their decision. I was disappointed in the American people.

I woke up to find that very same disappointment hanging over us like a thick fog. It had seeped through the cracks of our nation and filled every street and corner. That fog found its way into the lungs of the hopeless and the hearts of the fearful. Clutching at their throats, choking on this toxic haze were the oppressed, the underprivileged, the overlooked, the African Americas, the Hispanics, the Muslims, the women and all those that simply cannot believe in the future before them. Now, days after the election that fog has not subsided. It continues to rest dense in the hearts of many.

Trump’s control of the executive office along with both a Republican House and Senate has brought many to cite memories of the great depression, another time in U.S history with a similarly structured government. International trade restrictions are commonly considered one of the proponents of the depression and fear of similar restrictions under Trump’s radically nationalist disposition have begun to worry more than just economists. Others remember the unpleasant nature of the American war front and economy during the presidency of Republican power, George W. Bush and cannot help but draw similarities between the two. Akin to what I have written above, fellow millennials have been exclaiming dramatic prose of their own in response to the outcome of this election. In an effort to convey the gravity of the situation many have written of the apocalyptic nature of what is to come with examples of devastation more vivid than any religious text. Anger is boiling at the core of America’s youth.

However, they are not alone. The Democratic party is scrambling to find footing amidst this vast loss of power and numerous people, young and old alike, have taken to the streets. Riots and protests are populating urban environments with violence, defaced property, and overall discord.

While I stand in solidarity with these people and abhor everything that Trump stands for, the amount of projected damage and destruction seems to me, slightly hyperbolic. Be it my phlegmatic personality or the bargaining stage in my denial but I truly believe that little of what Trump has offered his loyal subjects will come to fruition.

I am wholeheartedly American, I was born in this country, abide by its laws, respect its ideals but my skin complexion is far from white and I happen to come from a Muslim family. Neither of which attributes are well supported by Mr. Trump. Yet, the fear that I will be forced from my home is virtually nonexistent in my mind. The construction of a wall seems like a bad joke and all out nuclear war is undoubtedly unrealistic. At least so much as been supported by comments made by Congress.

Unlike the social warriors and outraged millennials that are fighting tooth and nail against Trump, I feel a little numb, definitely disappointed but in our people more so than anything. Like most other Americans I never expected Trump to win. There was no doubt in my mind that the sane people of America would see to his defeat, but here we are.

That is why rather than Trump himself, I take issue with the American people. Trump is one man, with horrifying views, but just one man nonetheless. I never considered that there are still so many individuals in our country that are racist, homophobic or sexist. Until this election, I considered those people a vestige of a dying generation; one that the common American individual would stand against. One that would be challenged by the equality driven people we try so hard to convince everyone else that we are. Often times, the very people that side with Trump tend to be the very same that support our war against tyranny and oppression in other nations. As we lay waste to countries abroad killing innocents and terrorists alike under the pretense of bringing liberty, we forget to look within ourselves to see the vapid xenophobia that plagues us. The rest of us learned the hard way that those outdated ideas of inequality and prejudice that have long stained this country are still commonplace. Bigotry continues to live strong in America, land of the supposed free.

Dec. 1, 1791 is the date the first amendment was ratified and subsequent establishment of freedom of religion. That was 225 years ago.

Dec. 6, 1865 marks the ratification of the 13th amendment and the abolition of slavery. That was 150 years ago.

Aug. 18, 1920 signifies the ratification of the 19th amendment and with it came the ability for women to vote. That was nearly 100 years ago.

And just last year on June 26, same sex marriage was legalized in all 50 states.

The work of the great men and women that spurred these movements has so quickly been squandered. We have pushed ourselves back in time over two centuries. These were symbolic changes to our nation and society that we were once proud of. Or, at least, we claimed we were. We taught children their importance and celebrated their existence. These  were cornerstones of American ideology, one that valued freedom and equality above all else. Yet, through the election of a man that verily opposes so much of what this country represents, we have undone everything we accomplished.

Today in America, there are people that are truly terrified for their well being. It is more than disheartening to think that in this day and age, a mother has to tell her child to stop practicing her religious beliefs for fear of her life; that parents have to warn their child that they will be once again judged for the color of their skin rather than the content of their hearts; that one may be denied the unalienable rights this country was built upon simply because who they chose to be and who they choose to love.

The American people have done more damage to this country than Trump will ever be able to do in his four years. By voting for such a man and, in turn, voting for all the vulgarity he stands for, Americans have turned back the clock on all the change this country has seen. Moving forward, I am less wary of what Trump will accomplish in office than of the people that have put him there.

Perhaps even more so, the blame lies with all of us that have taken a seat on the sidelines. Statistics by the U.S Election Project show that only 56.9 percent of eligible voters participated and as such Donald Trump only received 27 percent of the vote while Hillary took the majority. While it may be that most Americans still hold a sense of integrity and decided to vote for a candidate that actually upholds America’s beliefs, whether that be third-party or even Clinton, it still remains up to the voters to select their representative for the electoral college. While countries across the sea report voter turn out at well over 50 percent we struggle desperately to bring little over half our population to vote. Democratic turnout was at a record low this election, especially when compared to the last. I strongly believe that it is up to all of us, minorities or not, to show up and take action or face the consequences of our stagnant behavior. And while I support and respect an individuals decision to refuse to vote altogether, it is important to note that not voting is no less significant than voting for the opposing party.

Despite all this, through the thick of that disappointing fog we did see some light shine down on us this election. Nevada elected the first Hispanic female Senator in U.S history, Catherine Cortez Masto. California elected Kamala Harris as the first Indian-American to serve in the U.S senate. Oregon elected Kate Brown, an openly LGBT woman, as governor. Ilhan Omar, a former refugee, became the first Somalian-American Muslim female legislator. Jose Salcido of Wichita, Kansas has shed his previously undocumented status to become a deputy police chief.

Now more than ever it is important that we refuse to fall into a routine malaise and instead work to change the devastating future so many of see. It is up to us, minority or not, to maintain the American dream and keep it alive.