Americans had 16 months, from June last year to Tuesday, November 8, 2016 to write, speak and protest against now-President-elect Donald J. Trump. However, as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and President Obama have both reminded us, the democratic process of electing the 45th President is now over.

Some did protest – and all power to them. Many who are now clogging up the streets and clogging up my Facebook timeline did not. As a colleague of mine noted this summer, liberal groups couldn’t be bothered to make the trip to Cleveland to protest Trump’s nomination. Big protests there – many thousands of activists were expected – could have made a difference. But they didn’t show up.

As the residents of any American college campus or metropolitan city center know, the protests are now under way. The stable hands have turned up in huge numbers to remind us that the horse has bolted, and to say he isn’t their horse. Last week, local high school students stormed the University of Southern California with Mexican flags to declare that America is a “joke” and that Trump is “not my president.”

I hate to break it to you, but he is. I’m old enough to remember when Clinton – rightly – slammed Trump’s refusal to declare that he would accept the results of the election as “horrifying.” Prominent media and political leaders on both sides of the aisle condemned Trump’s apparent rejection of the very basis of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power.

Nothing said this #debatenight will be as important as "I will look at it at the time." That is a cavalier threat to the American project. — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) October 20, 2016

I know why Chris Wallace wants to move to other subjects, but it would be worth lingering on the fact that Trump will undermine democracy. — Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) October 20, 2016

blah blah blah blah I won't accept the results of the election blah blah blah blah blah Nothing else matters. Shocking. — Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) October 20, 2016

But look at what Lusztig said just one month later, in pure consequentialism, when the rules did not posit the outcome that he wanted.

Hillary Clinton's popular vote margin crossed the 1 MILLION mark yesterday. Abolish the electoral college.#NotMyPresident — Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) November 16, 2016

So now we have people rioting openly in the streets because they did not get what they wanted in a fair election.

Now look, I completely understand being disappointed. I published my first column condemning Trump over a year ago, and just a month ago I called for the RNC to flip the ticket and dump the “orange-faced god king who literally jokes about crimes against women.” I was there and I’ve seen more protesters at a student government meeting. I was repeatedly slammed as a “cuck” and another c-word on Twitter for writing against Trump, but I did it anyways, because I wanted to go to the polls on election day knowing that I had done everything in my power as a writer to oppose someone I believed to be categorically unfit for the presidency.

But democracy overrode my opinion. And I have to accept that.

Even more egregious than the mere rejection of the bedrock of our democracy is the sheer fact that large swaths of these protesters did not even wake up until after election day. In Portland, where “peaceful” protests have devolved into violent riots, cops found that 70 percent of over 100 arrested protesters didn’t even vote. If you didn’t even contribute to the democratic process, you have absolutely no right to protest it.

Even more asinine, protesters don’t even seem to have a clear goal anymore. Is it to abolish the Electoral College? To convince electors to become faithless? To propose anarchy? Or just to throw a hissy fit because Trump definitely isn’t sitting in a gaudy, golden bathtub bathing in your salty tears.

We’ve seen universities offer collective therapy sessions and cancel classes to cater to students who really, more than anything on earth, need to check their privilege. Don’t know what I mean?

This is the worst thing that has happened in my life. But eventually we will triumph. https://t.co/BvKm1DKL1i pic.twitter.com/4fSMyH7PrY — Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) November 9, 2016

Bruh ! I literally fell asleep and woke up to Trump being president. That's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. — TyTooSaücy (@Trapsylvania_) November 9, 2016

Going to sleep and waking up to donald trump as president is literally the worst thing that couldve ever happened to me — Lindsey (@LindseyJadee) November 9, 2016

Pres Trump is one of the worst things that's ever happened so it's good I have Jack (best thing that's ever happened to me) to get me thru — kelpy (@kelseybuckles) November 10, 2016

*ads keep popping up while watching new in spanish*

Mrs. Mason- "THIS IS THE WORST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME"

Then again trump is president — Quinn Solberg (@QuinnSolberg5) November 9, 2016

Oh really? Then congratulations. If the selection of a constitutionally limited office is the worst thing to ever have happened to you, then you’ve never been raped or sexually assaulted. You’ve never had a sick sibling or unemployed parents. You’ve never been depressed or suicidal. You’ve never faced torture or starvation. If the election of a man who is still restricted by two other branches of government and the Constitution is the worst thing to ever happen to you, then you’ve lived an extraordinarily blessed life.

I – and President-elect Trump, a man with whom I extremely disagree and distrust – condemn any and all racist violence instigated by a false sense of empowerment from November 8. But the solution is not to encourage anarchy; it’s to make individual examples of racist bullies who are still under the jurisdiction of the law and organize to institute real change.

Don’t take an Instagram with a sign and think that makes you a hero. Real change isn’t sexy. It isn’t fun, and it isn’t easy. It takes your actual time, money and, as I’ve experienced first hand from Twitter trolls and cyberbullies, a huge toll on your morale.

Go work with or call your state and local legislators to support bills. Go volunteer with Carbon War Room or Van Jones’ Green for All to help combat climate change. If you’re pro-choice, donate your own time and money to Planned Parenthood or Emily’s List. Actively report instances of hate crimes or groping to law enforcement; Trump’s election has no bearing on the fact that sexual assault and hate crimes are still that, crimes, and law enforcement will take them seriously.

Most importantly, gear up for four years from now, and actually listen and learn from a Trump supporter. I know that you feel morally and culturally superior to them. But try and find out why they voted for a man who once thought that the role of the Supreme Court was to convict and try criminals. Just don’t shut them down. After all, that’s why we got here in the first place.

@tianathefirst