Over the past few months, I’ve become aware of a disturbing trend.

This election was one of the most divisive of our time. Most people can’t say anything nice about the opposition. Attacks on the candidates turned into attacks on their supporters. Outrageous stereotypes have been plaguing us for months.

I’ve been watching this insanity go on, and I have to say I was looking forward to Nov. 5, when we could stop all this craziness. However, the problem has not been eradicated, but has gotten worse.

I thought we had hit rock bottom on election night, when I saw Facebook statuses such as “It’s called the White House for a reason” and “F*** George Bush.”

That wasn’t the worst of it though. A week later, people are still donning sackcloth and ashes in preparation for the day that the country becomes the “United Socialist States of America.”

No matter how “unpatriotic” some people think President-elect Barack Obama is, it is more unpatriotic not to support your leader until he has given you a reason not to. I feel it is extraordinarily disrespectful to join Facebook groups that mock Bush, and the recent film, “W,” is distasteful. Likewise, it is extraordinarily disrespectful to join groups such as “1 million strong against Obama” even after Election Day. I can’t believe Americans want to perpetuate the divide.

I know it’s a lot easier for me to say “respect your leader” when my guy won the election. And I’ll admit, I am thrilled Obama won.

But I can also say Sen. John McCain would have been a great president. I think both sides’ supporters made race a bigger deal than the candidates did.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people complain that many voted for Obama simply because he is black. But I can also tell you that just as many people didn’t vote for him for that reason; the fact that he won roughly 53 percent of the popular vote is proof enough that he won on more than race.

Both candidates campaigned on change. Change from “politics as usual.” Change from petty partisanship in Congress.

So I challenge Americans to put aside their political differences and focus on uniting the country. As Obama said in his acceptance speech, “We rise or fall as one nation, as one people … we are not enemies, but friends.”

Let’s turn that passion we all had into passion for our country. If you dislike something about Obama’s platform, write to your congressmen. Or better yet, get involved! Join a group (and I don’t just mean a Facebook group). Volunteer. Make a difference in your own sphere of influence.

That’s how real change is going to come for this country – not from the top down, but from the bottom up. But it has to start today.

After all, we are “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

- Arleta Cobb is a sophomore from Norcross majoring in international affairs and political science.