For over a year I sat quietly and watched as an infection grew in this country. It took hold of people slowly but surely and crept its way into our daily lives. It was all late night talk shows could mock. It was all morning news could report. And it was all social media could create memes about.

We laughed this infection off, as if it was no bigger than a paper cut at work; no more painful than a singe from hot oil as we were frying our eggs.

We laughed this infection off with friends, with family, at parties, at work and in bed at night. We laughed it off to avoid having to think about the reality of actually having to subject ourselves to a thorough diagnosis.

This infection that makes us shoot unarmed citizens because of the color of their skin. This infection that makes us allow men to get off with a pat on the wrist for rape. This infection that justifies paying a woman less than a man, for doing the same job. This infection that blinds us to the struggles of those who are not as lucky to be citizens our country.

This infection that has now taken the popular vote and the electoral vote.

This infection is nothing new. This infection has existed for thousands of years. And we have all sat on the sidelines allowing it to fester.

Ignorance.

Ignoring the kid at the lunch table because the food she brought for lunch was something you’ve never seen before. Ignoring the only woman in the meeting room because she can’t speak up enough to be heard over the ruckus. Ignoring entire communities that are struggling to keep jobs with all of the automation being instituted in the manufacturing industry.

Ignoring the problems other human beings around us are facing, is what led us to elect the most complete embodiment of racism, sexism and bigotry the public eye has ever seen.

Let’s really make America great again. What we need is not something a government can give us. What we need is to be able to look at the people around us, ALL of the people around us, and see the greatness in them. America is only as great as her people. I choose to see greatness in every single American.

Some may choose to run. But I’m not going anywhere.

This is my country to protect.

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥४-८॥