Alright folks, thank you so very much for tuning into this week’s review of the latest and greatest hit television show “America.” If you don’t already know, “America” is a raunchy political comedy highlighting the slow destruction of a once great nation. In the latest episode, cult favorite, Donald J. Trump follows closely with his pompous character and has begun a victory lap across the country delivering speeches to regale his audience with more promises from his upcoming presidency. A truly outlandish character, Trump leaves viewers and fans on the edge of their seat as any move he makes could bring the country toppling down.

Truly, I wish I could find less hilarity in all of this but given the sad situation we have somehow found ourselves in, I think it is best to hold on to what little humor we can find. It seems that what has ironically become characteristic of America is the systematic failure to uphold the values we claim to be the pillars of our great nation. If this election has taught us anything, it is that the shouts of bigots and the slurs of racists resonate louder than the songs of liberty and freedom we falsely cherish. This recurring theme of hypocrisy in the modern narrative of America, once again rears its ugly head in lieu of recent protests against the results of the 2016 election.

In the wake of Trump’s accession to the executive office, riots and protests have left streets littered with the marching footsteps of tired souls, fearing the worst. New York, Chicago, Boston, Portland and Oakland are among some of the cities that housed tens of thousands of student, activist, and immigrant protesters. All of whom, are terrified by the prospect of an America under Trump, with liberty and justice for some. Groups including, People for Bernie, the Black Student Union, the Black Lives Matter movement, the Muslim Students’ Associations and the Fearless Undocumented Alliance have all actively fought against Trump since the beginning and have continued their battle after his victory by organizing peaceful protests. Popularized recently, the phrase “Not my president,” has blazed across social media like a wildfire, embodying the heartfelt rejection of Trump by numerous individuals across the states. Protesters have implemented blockades in front of Trump hotels, vandalized Trump buildings, and caused an assortment of damage to local infrastructure. Both high school and college students around the country walked out of school and class in their own form of peaceful protest. Despite the majority of protests being of a similarly peaceful nature, fires, flag burning and the almost comical burning of a Trump pinata were reported as well. The number of arrests in connection to protests has risen into the hundreds with increasingly violent protests labeled as riots and classified as felonies. Individuals chanting and pouring their hearts out against Trump’s presidency have been met with opposition by his supporters. These clashes have resulted in violence and overall chaos.

This time of strife has found figureheads clambering about, each with their own clumsy perspective. Celebrities have split sides, some endorsing the America Trump promises while others have joined the fray of protests. Unlikely individuals such as Bernie Sanders and President Barack Obama have both gone as far as to ask Americans to “give Trump a chance.”  This is possibly the most disturbing opinion passed down by government officials and prominent members of society, the call to cease protesting.

Why is it that we continually stress the importance of our rights? We glorify them in movies and television. We paint grandiose tales of their significance. We educate children to cling to them for dear life and we more than proudly go to war against anyone that would dare threaten them. Yet, all this patriotic love for our rights persists only until their use fails to align with personal ideals. Why is it that we embellish the rights of free speech and assembly, until someone actually decides to say something, or protest against something? Why is it that rather than encouraging young Americans to fight for what they believe as their forefathers and as the fathers of their country once did, we repress them? Their voices are misheard as childish shouts of aggression, their opinions are dismissed and their constitutional right to protest is seen as “anarchist,” “rebellious,” “dangerous,” a “mockery.”

Among all these opinions I know without a doubt where I stand. But curious still, to see where my fellow millennials, ranging from different walks of life and different perspectives stand, I reached out to friends and simply asked;

“What is your honest opinion on these protests?”

I asked them to write from the heart, and speak their mind.

Marissa Sims is a 19-year-old student from Marshall University in West Virginia. She is a political science major and aspiring lawyer. This is what she candidly had to say:

“I believe its all out of fear and anger. We’ve come so far in these past 8 years…in terms of equality and acceptance, but we aren’t where we need to be, and people are scared of his comments, [they think] that he will destroy our progress…You have every right to protest…protesting is our constitutional right and we have every reason to exercise that right. Now more than ever.”

Sims, a liberal and a Democrat, vehemently stands against everything that Trump supports. She believes that the future is in our hands, we have the power to bring about change, we need only try.

Cayla Carter, on the other hand, had a different outlook.

“I think it’s unnecessary. I get that people have the right to protest but protesting something like Trump becoming president is a little pointless now. People need to get over it,” Carter said.

Carter, a fairly left winged Democrat, a student, and a resident of California has no allegiance to Trump. Though, she like many others believe that time has run out, the result of the election is of our own doing. Call it pessimism or realism, but she believes that it is no longer in our hands. This opinion is shared among individuals of every generation and race, they are not necessarily hopeless but they don’t believe that protesting will change anything.

I had the opportunity to speak with a student from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His opinion differed starkly with what is commonly regarded to be popular among his millennial peers. With respect to his wishes, his statement will remain anonymous. His words were as follows;

“These protests are necessary and show how Americans can still express their disappointment towards government. However, we must keep in mind that after this presidential election, the eyes of our global friends and foes are pierced on us. Thus, after conducting this tough election, and outcome accepted by the Democratic President, these protests are doing nothing but ruining our image in the global community. We must stand together as a united country and support the man who is its future image rather than impersonating him every Saturday Night. Republican or Democrat, the United States is much more than a single man, if he does a good job, great, if not…we’ve been through worse.”

This 19-year-old student is a Neuroscience Major, a semi-conservative Republican, and a part of the Republican Student Union at UIC. He is both a minority and a Muslim and as he made clear to me he does not support every ideal Trump stands for. But despite this, his belief is that Trump will bring much needed radical change to America and that standing behind our president rather than mocking him is the course of action that will lead America to a prosperous future.

A final opinion was given to me by Cammy Rae, a self-employed entrepreneur from South Carolina. She gave me a perspective that I found to be very important.

“The fact that people my age are protesting is an amazing thing to see, it shows that we are not just products of our surroundings and that we are not robots to social media and sheep to government. I’m all for protesting for what you believe in or for what you’re against. As for the rioting, I understand people are upset and I understand people are scared but when you’re rioting and saying “F— Trump” and then breaking a window or something you’re affecting businesses, small businesses…. That’s how people support their families and pay the bills. People trying to get to work, to school, to the hospital etc. but cannot get to where they are going because of riots in the streets. People probably feel like that’s the only way to get their point across, is by setting stuff on fire and looting- it’s not. How does doing any of that make us any different than violent and unreasonable supporters of Trump?”

Rae is a 20-something liberal who believes in equality and freedom, just as much as any of the thousands of protesters marching the streets. But she also understands that feeding into the violent riot mentality often adopted in frustration and anger, only sets a cause back by imprinting on it destructively.

While speaking with these individuals, my perspective on the recent protests only became more resolute. It does not matter whether we change anything or not. It is not about being too late. It truly does not matter if our voices are never heard, our opinions never acknowledged, our battle never recognized. What stands to be the most significant result of these protests, is the fact that they occurred. The fact that thousands upon thousands of Americans still stand for what this was actually built upon, that they still believe in equality and justice and liberty, that alone is enough. Enough to light dumpster fires in the darkest hours of the night, where many of us may think all hope is lost. That in this country there are still those that will judge us for the color of skin, or the religion we follow, or the sexual identity we choose. These protests and riots demonstrate a will that is more American any hate a bigot or a racist may hurl your way. So while we may very well accomplish nothing. Trump may remain president reign supreme, opening the floodgates of prejudice but we will have these protests to remind us that America is not lost. There is still hope.