It happened. Against all polls, predictions, and pundits, president-elect Donald Trump will be moving into the White House. Despite Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote, the electoral college has spoken- and many people are not happy about it. As a liberal, I’m afraid that the values I hold dear will be eroded over the next four years, and I know my generation will have to work hard to restore them.

If you supported Mr. Trump, celebrate. If you didn’t, listen to what the election is trying to teach us.

Mr. Trump tapped into a part of America that was forgotten and ignored. Stretching from the rolling hills in Appalachia to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, millions of Americans felt left behind and disenfranchised. To them, Donald Trump was their saving grace. We finally heard their voice, and it came in tens of millions. This election showed us that America is far more fractured than we believed. The entire cycle has been fought with the fear that the other side would destroy the country if given the reins, and viciousness ensued because of it. Though in order to move forward, no matter how hard it is, we must come together.

We have to listen to the gripes of those who voted red. The giant voting bloc that went for Trump isn’t some giant conglomeration of bigots. They just wanted change. Some thought he would bring jobs back and others thought he could end corruption in our government. I don’t think that he will do either, but these issues are important. People voted Mr. Trump because they felt like he could create a better America, and the fact that they were able to overcome blatant lies, sexisim, and xenophobia to vote for him underscores the importance of these issues to millions.

Mr. Trump has proven to many, including me, that he is incapable of holding responsibility, but that can’t distract us from what needs to be done. Now is the time to understand the other side, and now is the time to convince them. We can’t convince them through insults and blame. Instead, we have to pursue discussion, no matter how frustrating or painful.

Mr. Trump’s election doesn’t mean we give up hope. For liberals, this doesn’t mean we give up on the ideals we were working steadily towards. All it means is that we have more progress to make than we thought. This election isn’t the only election. It’s now even more important than ever to participate in the countless other political processes. If you truly believe       in what you think is right, just because the presidency went the wrong way doesn’t mean everything else has to as well.

It’s easy to be angry at the millions who elected Trump, but that will do nothing. I still think there was a far better choice for president, but that isn’t going to stop me from keeping an open mind and understanding what America thinks. It is, however, going to make me more determined to work towards a future I believe in. No one said that democracy was easy, but if we all pitch in, we can change this country. And that’s the beauty of America.