Half of America is stunned by results of the 2016 presidential election, and it is disturbing to see such deep emotional responses ranging from blatant uncivil conduct to outright depression and fear.

Smoldering xenophobia and racism has been uncovered, and it is reminiscent of bad days I’d thought passed from the black-and-white TV news clips seen when I was a child in the 60s. What folly based in ethnocentric myopia! It is especially surprising in an age in increased connectivity and access to global communities.

Trump has stirred up and re-ignited embers not yet extinguished, but it was fueled by a void in leadership and economic stresses exacerbated by our fiat currency. A bipartisan stalemate, political representatives and media bought by special interests, and economic hardship for most Americans has created this dilemma.

The two majority parties, who should have selected better candidates, obviously chose their presidential nominees because they wanted to secure their futures with more of the same. Meanwhile, a vast number of folks representing both sides directly sought change for the betterment of the country, but we will see what change we will get now.

Trump, although given the opportunity, has ironically chosen to be silent now on the civil unrest he seemed to imply was acceptable by his own unpresidential conduct. He promised solutions, and we will see if he has the capacity to play politics as well as he played the people.

However, I am pleased that the Obama administration respected the will of the people and legal treaty to support the stay at Standing Rock. Also, in eight years, the sky did not fall in from the economic plight left by both the Bush and Clinton administrations, but I don’t believe the numbers that imply that we are really better off now.

Compared to the global growth in economies, America is still not showing enough real traction to overcome its debt burdens. These were created by a few malevolent players that dominate finance, pharmaceutical, insurance, petroleum, and weapons industries.

Historically, war has been used to create economic growth and wealth for the few at the expense of human suffering and lives. Let’s not fall into the traps that are set by these parasites. Let’s not capitulate to hate and fear, which are deliberately being provoked to justify the next agenda of the ultra-elitist manipulators.

I’m touched to see communities reaching out and people talking to each other so that those hateful and ignorant embers do indeed die and we can progress in solid unity, as our country was conceived to be. We educators need to give a global perspective to our students and encourage the study of foreign cultures and languages. We, as Americans, need to travel and see more of the world in order to understand that we as humanity share the earth and its resources. Only then can we collaborate to find solutions for global sustainability and secure a free America.

Entrepreneurship, creating value and jobs through the production of goods and services, is an area familiar to Trump. I hope he will greatly use that avenue to make America great again. Meanwhile, he could do more to heal wounds that need mending so that his four years have a chance for a favorable legacy.