Disclaimer, this was in another personal topic in the nightclub. Putting it here as an extra opinion for you to possibly consider in the panic.
Ok, on second thought, I was going to leave it at that with a fairly blase hand wave to someone else but it would be irresponsible of me not to put down my thoughts on one of the most historic events I've been alive to witness.
When I first woke up and saw the results my stomach fell away. I am a white man in the UK, as far removed from the damage Trump could cause as almost anyone could be. This says two things. Either the media has done a damn good job in painting him to be a threat or, this possibility trusts my sense of a person far more, he genuinely does pose a threat. If not to me then to people I care about.
That said, there is two sides to every story. I have met many people I do not personally like but are still perfectly competent. I have been wrong many times about how bad a situation could be. I have seen moments of kindness fro people I didn't expect it from. Words are all too easy to doubt and I do indeed doubt what Trump said in his victory speech but if he can conduct himself as a gracious victor, something I never expected, then maybe he can conduct himself as a president should.
I do worry for marginalised groups and I've been blase about the issues they face in the past but I do think there is considerable risk here. If not directly because of Trumps actions then indirectly by his influence. Riots caused by upset minorities, emboldened moves by bigots, a gentler social view towards prejudice. There is division in america clear even to an outsider from across the pond and that divide may widen before it narrows.
Two things need to happen as I see it, putting aside where Trump may lead the country. The election system needs to change, it should not be so divisive. Next, we as a generation of people, everyone living right now, needs to learn to recognise that, as surreal as it seems, we are genuinely making history and a certain amount of seriousness needs to be brought to bear. Trump was dismissed as a joke for so long. He was very much underestimated. What if he had been taken seriously as a candidate earlier on? Maybe people would have looked at the other candidates more critically and maybe there would have been better people up to bat. Who knows?
Sorry if this is perpetuating the repetitive drag of this topic but I can't just sit silent. As I said, this is a historic day. A scary one.