Well would you look at that: the sun is still shining, and birds are still singing.

The results of the 2016 presidential election are not ideal for many people, especially people in the Bay Area. And that’s fine, no one’s required to like the outcome. What’s not okay is the rioting.

Shortly after Donald Trump was announced the new President of the United States, people gathered in parts of Oakland and Berkeley and protested that Trump is “not their president.”

The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Protesting is acceptable. It’s one of our protected constitutional rights. But like I said before, what’s not acceptable is arson. According to KRON4 news, during the Oakland protests people set fires on Broadway and briefly shut down Highway 24.

So while I support this group of people that assembled and voice their opinions against the current situation, the moment violence began I could no longer maintain my support. It’s a simple thing; violence is never the answer.

Anyone that’s unhappy about the election results shouldn’t sulk for too long either. While yes, it might not be the outcome you wanted, continuing to be depressed about it won’t help you in the long run. There’s no going back in life, we only move forward.

As this country moves forward with its new leader, citizens need to work together to close the gap that’s been created as a result of this election. Democracy isn’t dead, but it will be soon if we don’t work together.