I don’t want president-elect Donald Trump to fail.

Surprised? I hope not.

It’s true, I voted for Hillary Clinton. I think she would have been a great president. While I did not vote for her simply because she is a woman (though, sadly, I think some people did), I do believe that a woman brings a unique perspective and set of skills to any leadership role. Those attributes would have made a positive difference for this country, complementing sound policies based on solid experience.

But, that’s not how it turned out, is it?

I don’t want president-elect Donald Trump to fail.

If Donald Trump fails as president, our strong economy will falter, our divided country will not unite, our children’s and grandchildren’s future is at risk. If he fails as a world leader, our foreign relations will suffer, the fragile peace in many countries will break down, nuclear war becomes a real fear not just a defensive possibility, and our military will be placed in harm’s way more often than they already are.

If Donald Trump fails to lead all of the people he is now set to serve, many hard fought for rights may be trampled. A woman could lose the right to choose her own healthcare options, even the very personal choice of having a baby. A man or woman could lose the freedom to marry the person they love. A person with specific health challenges might not be able to find affordable care. The peaceful right to bear arms could become a very frightening need to bear arms.

It’s funny how our great democracy works. For eighteen months, a candidate runs first to earn the privilege to represent one party, then continues on representing that party until election day. But, once the electoral votes are cast, he or she isn’t the president of just one party or just the people who voted for him/her. (Don’t forget, in Mr. Trump’s case, more than half of the voters selected his opponent.)

The president is the leader of all the citizens of the United States.

It doesn’t matter what party they are registered with, where they were born, what religion they practice, what color their skin is, or who they voted for. It doesn’t matter if they live on a farm in Nebraska, down the street from Manhattan’s Trump Tower or on a reservation in Arizona. It doesn’t matter if they work on an assembly line, behind a desk or happen to be out of work right now. He is bound to represent all of us, uphold all of our laws and fight for all of our rights.

I don’t want president-elect Donald Trump to fail.

I don’t want him to fail as president. I don’t want him to fail as a leader. I don’t want him to fail the people of the United States of America. I don’t want him to fail the citizens of the world.

Friday Food For Thought:

I invite you to join me. Pay attention. Do your homework. Don’t get your information just from one source. Watch his actions and listen carefully to his words. Speak out when President Trump’s choices don’t seem to be in our best interest. Stand up for our laws and our rights when you feel he isn’t. Don’t accept fear mongering. Don’t accept a future built on hate. Don’t support bullying. Don’t be a bully yourself. Be an active citizen. Be a positive influence in your community. Be a good leader.

All the while, wish Mr. Trump well. Wish him success. Not as a Republican. Not as a conservative white man. Not as a political outsider. But as the elected leader of the United States of America.

For if Donald Trump fails in that role, we all lose.