Jennifer Lawrence pens post-election editorial: "Let this enrage you"
Jennifer Lawrence channeled her “Hunger Games” persona in an essay calling for action following Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election.
In an essay for Broadly, the Oscar-winning actress confronted the anger and fear many citizens are feeling.
“This country was founded on immigration, and today the only people that feel safe -- that their rights are recognized and respected -- are white men,” she wrote. “I want to be positive. I want to support our democracy, but what can we take away from this? It’s a genuine question that we all need to ask ourselves.”
But Lawrence proposed more proactive approaches to the problems facing America than turning on each other following such a divisive election.
“We shouldn’t blame anyone, we shouldn’t riot in the streets. We should think strongly and clearly about what to do next because we cannot change the past,” she wrote. “If you’re worried about the health of our planet, find out everything you can about how to protect it.”
“If you’re worried about racial violence, love your neighbor more than you’ve ever tried to before -- no matter what they believe or who they voted for. If you’re afraid of a wall putting us all into another recession, then organize and stand against it.”
Lawrence admitted she doesn’t have all the answers -- especially when it comes to her fellow women. “If you’re a woman and you’re worried that no matter how hard you work or how much you learn, there will always be a glass ceiling, then I don’t really know what to say,” she wrote. “I don’t know what I would tell my daughter if I were you.”
But rather than give in to despair, the “Hunger Games” star urged U.S. citizens despondent over the election results to use it as motivation to make a change. “Do not let this defeat you -- let this enrage you.” she wrote.
“Let it motivate you. Let this be the fire you didn’t have before. If you are an immigrant, if you are a person of color, if you are LGBTQ+, if you are a woman -- don’t be afraid, be loud.”
