Americans were in a weird place last night.
Between seeing state after state fall to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump‘s favor, and the internet furiously trying immigrate to Canada as fast as possible, one thing became extremely apparent: This man could actually become the president of the United States.
(Spoiler alert: He did.)
But amid the nation’s collective rising panic, America’s soothing voice of reason George Takei posted a series of tweets letting us know that not all is lost.
The unthinkable happened before, to my family in WWII. We got thru it. We held each other close. We kept our dignity and held to our ideals.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
Takei, who is a vocal gay rights advocate and survived Japanese-American internment camps in Arkansas during World War II, encouraged Americans to stand up for equality and justice despite the outcome of the election.
1) I am addressing this to all who voted to defeat Donald Trump and what he represents. We may not have prevailed, but we must not despair.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
2) Many of you are, like me, in a state of shock. This does not feel like the America you love and honor. We are in unchartered waters.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
3) In times like these we must reaffirm the values we cherish and have fought for: equality, justice, the care of our planet.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
4) We must stand up defiantly to any dark or divisive acts, and look out for the most vulnerable among us. It is more important than ever.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
5) Within our hearts we know the society we wish to live in. No one can take that vision from us. We are each of us keepers of that promise.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
6) This country has seen wars and grave injustices, slavery and even civil war in its past. Yet we found our way through. We will now, too.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
7) Hold your loved ones close. Tell them that it is in times of sadness and in the toughest of days where we often find our true mettle.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 9, 2016
In 2014, Takei delivered a TED Talk entitled, “Why I love a country that once betrayed me.” If anyone could inject a ray of positivity into this post-election conversation, it would be him.
