History can — and should — repeat itself.

It happened once, therefore it can happen again; this is the core of what we have to say.

This Primo Levi quote is what greets visitors of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, and it struck me so much when I first saw it that I bought the postcard and keep it on my wall.

Even though “it” may be directly referring to the Holocaust, I find that his wise words can be applied to many of the trends we see happening today. While I don’t think that people should be comparing politicians, policies, and some attitudes to the Holocaust, Hitler, and the horrific scars those things left on humanity lightly, I do believe that history repeats itself. They say that there is nothing new under the sun, and it’s a truth that I find many people today don’t fully grasp the concept of.

Hate and fear are not new emotions in the world. They have existed since the beginning of time, and have served as motivators for all sorts of actions. But actions and decisions motivated by fear and hate never — never — end well. Look at the history of the world and tell me one good thing that has come as a result of hate or of fear. As a huge history buff, I feel quite sure that you would have a hard time finding one.

In case you *somehow* haven’t heard, the United States is basically losing its mind over its current election. Emotions are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum, the issues at hand are large and complicated, and the people truly feel that they cannot trust their leaders or government. There is so much fear, and so much hate. And everywhere I look, I only see people probing and enlarging these emotions in people. It’s disheartening. It’s sad. It’s downright scary. Seeing a country that you have grown to love and advocate begin to tear itself apart feels like losing a part of your identity.

America has not always been home to me, but it has always been a part of me. My Filipino grandfather fought with the Americans in WWII and grew to love and appreciate them immensely. He taught his children to love the United States and to respect them, and told them that you never had to worry if the Americans were on your side, because they fought for all the right things. Today, I am glad he is not here to see what is happening in the country that he dreamed of for so long.

I am getting married in less than a month, and I’m terrified. Not of getting married, but of the world that I must start a life together with my husband in; a world that I will have to bring my children into. It’s a world where you must fight every single day for what you believe in, and a world filled with more fear than faith, and more hate than love. It’s the sort of place that has brought hard times on humanity over and over again throughout the course of history, and we only see it happening again.

Perhaps it is too late to do anything but buckle in and hope you’re tough enough to take it, but I can’t let myself think that. I must believe that there is still so much good in the world. I must believe that there is a silent majority that share that hope with me, and who want to cultivate a place that is truly accepting and loving. It’s no secret that the world is scary, but we cannot let fear become our primary motivator.

History may repeat itself, but it does not always have to be of the negative.

What happened to the country that was the pinnacle of holding to its beliefs even when the odds seemed impossible? It is literally what the United States was founded on — going against the odds. I believe that spirit is still there, but is overshadowed by the louder and more prominent voices that the media focuses on. You still matter. Your spirit still matters. Your hope cannot be extinguished.

I refuse to be hopeless. With each new day, there is new hope. People only gain power because we allow them to. We the people hold the power. And while mistakes must be made in order to learn, but the fact still remains that we have the power to change things, to make things great.

This is no cry to rally, and no specific names or events will be named, but I feel that a lot of the country feels quite hopeless and afraid right now. It’s understandable. But it doesn’t need to be permanent. We are all still brothers and sisters under those stars and stripes, and in the end I think we’re all on the same team. Freedom, brotherhood, and finding success and maintaining faith even when all seems lost.

It has happened once, and it can happen again.