Trump won. Face it and fight to make America kind again.

Greg Ward is a native of central Ohio and was a longtime volunteer coach of youth sports.
With the election over and the results devastating to us who do not believe in President-elect Donald Trump and his stated agenda — to round up immigrants, to “protect” women by taking away their rights, to leave Ukraine to his pal Vladimir Putin, to be a “dictator” by unleashing the military on his political enemies — we are faced with decisions as to what to do.
First, this old guy wants to thank Trump voters for giving me a reason to hang on for at least four more years. I refuse to leave this Earth with the family that I love, and others, in the bad shape that we will be in starting in January.
What should those of us who came out on the losing end do now?
Accept the loss, don’t attack the Capitol and become part of the solution.
Support women — those wives, daughters and granddaughters who we know and those we don’t know. Even those who voted for a misogynist at their own future peril, and the peril of their daughters and granddaughters.
Support immigrants, including those who voted for a man who thinks they are garbage, who are simply human beings — many toiling in jobs Americans don’t want.
Work to save our planet from climate change and our kids from guns, the leading cause of death for children in the USA today.
Lend an ear, a shoulder or a helping hand to those kids being bullied — especially the transgender kids, all but a tiny handful who are not playing on girls’ sports teams, but who are attempting suicide at a higher rate than cisgender kids.
We should take comfort in each other. Just yesterday — only days after the election in which subtlety and empathy took a backseat to crudeness and meanness — a kind woman came to me nearly in tears. She is a doctor who has dedicated her life to battling cancer and saving lives; a woman of a different color than I am; a woman who moved to the United States both to help others and enjoy our freedom; and a “real” Christian, or what once was considered to be a real one.
She gave me a hug of friendship. She is concerned with the misogyny and racism, so prevalent here that a brilliant woman of color lost to a person the doctor and I would not want to be a neighbor.
She wonders who will be rounded up by Trump’s government. She is concerned that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare keeping our people fed and alive could be cut or eliminated. I could not allay her fears or answer her question, “How could this happen here?” But I could offer understanding and a return hug.
Mostly, my political “allies,” we should work to be good Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics or atheists — good people, kind people, ones who do not cheat or lie, cavort with porn stars or commit fraud or felonies.
Remember (and it might not be easy), many of those who supported Trump will eventually need our help, too, since he is loyal to only himself and turns on his “friends” at will. When they inevitably need us, we ask that they offer us only two things in return — a “please” and a promise to help return America to what it should be, what it must be.
Together, though it will be difficult, we will make America kind again.
Greg Ward is a native of central Ohio and was a longtime volunteer coach of youth sports. Now retired, he is a part-time fitness attendant and spinning instructor and a full-time father of four and grandfather of five.