by Tyler Fransen

Originally I had planned to submit a piece about National Geographic’s video of a penguin love triangle and how – up until Tuesday – it took Twitter by storm. However, I think I’ll save that topic for later. After all, the penguins have some things they need to work out on “Maury.”

For now, though, we’re reeling in what happened to our country over the past week. It was a hard week for sure, it was the culmination of nearly two years of campaigning in both the primaries and the general election, all of it leading up to Donald Trump becoming president-elect of the United States.

I, like I’m assuming many of you, was shocked, angry and above all else exhausted after the election results. I was exhausted from staying up late to watch it unfold, I was exhausted at the rhetoric, I was exhausted at the punditry and I was exhausted at the prospect of a Trump presidency.

I am not happy he won, I am not happy with his behavior, and I am not happy that this man is now in charge of the largest economy and the largest military in the world. But, I am happy that our country made strides Tuesday night, if for no other reason than it showed that this fight – and it is a fight – is not over.

Minnesota elected the first Somali-American Muslim woman to government office, Oregon elected the first LGBT Governor, California elected the first Indian-American woman as a senator and Nevada elected the first Latina senator in U.S. history.

But, we’ve still got a long way to go. The first female president is out there somewhere, and hopefully, they’re already in government or working towards being in government. Maybe they’re someone you know going to school right now.

One thing that struck me was the data that revealed if millennials were the only group that voted, Clinton would have won over 500 electoral votes. The only other times a candidate won over 500 electoral votes was FDR in 1936 with 523, Nixon in 1972 with 520 and Reagan in 1984 with 525.

It shows that our generation is going to have to be the one that makes change, and makes change now.

Ours is the generation that by the time we reach the ages of 18, 25, 30 and 35 respectively, we are going to have to run for public office. We’re going to need help, sure, but we’re going to help each other along the way.

If you’re 18, congratulations, in Colorado you can run for State Board of Education, University of Colorado Regent, RTD Board of Directors and even district attorney. The only qualification needed for DA is having practiced law in the state for at least five years.

25 year olds? You can run for state representative, state senator, attorney general or even U.S. representative. Attorney general only requires you to be a licensed attorney by the supreme court and in good standing.

30? You’re headed to the senate my friend, or perhaps even the governor’s mansion. And last but certainly not least, at 35 years old and being a natural born citizen of the United States of America, you can run for president and vice-president respectively.

This is not an issue of can you run, it’s an issue of will you run. You will run because your country needs you. Being apathetic and standing idly by as the generation behind you makes policy changes, or doesn’t make policy changes, that will harm you, your brothers, your sisters and your children down the line, is not acceptable anymore.

The message is simple: fight, fight like hell. Join your political science friends in their clubs and organizations. Stand locked in arms with your brothers and sisters of a different skin color than yours. Tell your gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender siblings, coworkers and friends that you will not let bigotry be the rule of law.

And lastly, but certainly not least, tell your congressmen and congresswomen, that your generation will not clean up the mess left behind by the generations before us. Instead, we are going to fight, and we are going to fight like Hell to make sure that our voices are heard, and heard loudly.

Gone are the days of keyboard activism, and in their place will go real activism. Donating to a cause, donating time and standing up for what you believe in are going to be the way we get our country on the right track.

Lastly, I have just this to say: if you are gay, straight, trans, black, white, Asian, Latino, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, atheist, male or female, fight like hell. You are loved and you are special, and if you experience hate, don’t listen.

If you experience bullying, there are people out there like myself who will help you get you through it all. Because of the less divided a nation we are, and the more we fight, not with each other, but against injustice; we will be better for it. That is why we will fight like hell.

I’ll have a funny piece for next issue’s column, maybe by then those penguins will have sorted out their drama.