“I’ve just received a call from Secretary Clinton,” Donald Trump said over the cheers of a supportive crowd. The election was finally over; Hillary Clinton had conceded. For many, that moment was the beginning of the end of the world. But for me, it was the moment that I truly believed—even amidst shock and sadness—that it would be alright.

I’m a woman, a Mexican, and the granddaughter of immigrants. Even though the president-elect has demeaned so many parts of my identity, I still believe in our democracy, our Constitution and our nation’s future.

The Constitution protects the nation’s core values and principles: freedom of speech, religion, the press, association, justice and due process, equality under law, the right to vote and the peaceful transition of power according to those results. These values are contained in one all-important document; violating one, such as abusing the electoral college or preventing the peaceful transition of power, opens the door for violations to all. Clinton’s early morning phone call was the first step in ensuring each of those values is respected.

The Supreme Court—even if it is tipped conservative by a Trump-appointee—is bound to the Constitution. Only so much can be altered; the rule of precedent applies to most cases that have been ruled on by previous courts. Reversing precedents is rare, and for this to occur, another case of the same nature must come before the Court.

The Supreme Court might not even be tipped conservative; the Republicans don’t have a sixty-senator majority. Before a confirmation vote can proceed, nine democratic or independent senators must join the 51 Republican senators in a vote to end debates on the nominee—unless Trump nominates a more moderate candidate, this seems unlikely.

This is checks and balances at work; the Senate is a check on the president’s power, and the Republican’s slim majority—51 to 47, with two independents—doesn’t nullify this. Checks and balances in the legislative arena will also moderate Trump’s radical policies. Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan still doesn’t agree with Trump on a number of key issues, despite his seemingly reluctant endorsement.

Ryan supports legal status for some undocumented immigrants, not mass deportation of millions at a time. He has put forth plans for a balanced budget—not the $24.5 trillion of debt that some experts claim Trump’s policies will cause. In June, Ryan criticized Trump’s stance on a ban on Muslim immigrants; “Muslims are our partners,” he said at a press conference. He also condemned Trump’s racist remarks against Indiana-born judge of Mexican descent, Gonzalo Curiel.

The Democrats have power in the minority, too. In the Senate, the filibuster exists to allow the minority to halt radical legislation; Republicans don’t have the 60 votes necessary to achieve cloture, which ends a legislative filibuster. In addition, filibusters draw significant media attention to the Democratic agenda. Some Republicans have talked of a vote to end the filibuster, but this move seems unlikely—ending the filibuster would jeopardize Republican interests if they were to become the minority party, removing their ability to halt Democratic legislation.

The area of government with the fewest checks and balances is foreign policy; it’s also the area in which Trump seems to have the least expertise. Although Trump will be the commander in chief and chief diplomat, he will be surrounded by national security experts and his actions will be constrained by international law. In January, Retired Air Force General Michael Hayden said many members of the military would refuse to act if Trump ordered the killing of the families’ of terrorists; international law would be on their side.

The damage Donald Trump can do is limited. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to feel afraid, angry and dismayed. These feelings are valid, important and powerful. They will be most powerful when channeled into productive action.

From calls for solidarity and unity to plans for the next midterm elections, the social media response—by voters, millennials, and all those feeling threatened by a Trump presidency—has been heartening and another sign of our democracy’s health and stability.

Our nation’s founding principles and democratic institutions are far stronger than a single person, even Donald Trump. The world isn’t ending, even if it’s changing.

On Wednesday morning, during second period, I turned to the flag and spoke the pledge of allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I truly believe that our nation will remain a model for liberty and justice; we cannot allow this election to divide us. We are stronger together.

I am genuinely scared. Come January, we have to accept that our president will be a man with no political or military experience. A man who has been taped making sexist comments and has received support from hate groups will be moving into the White House.

While many people have faith that the status quo of politics will continue, for many Americans, a Trump presidency is extremely threatening.

Instead of embracing a message of love and respect, many Americans supported a man who bragged that “when you’re a star…you can do anything [to women].” The fact that Trump was elected despite these comments sends a dangerous message to women in the U.S. and around the world: America allows its politicians to threaten women’s rights.

As a self described “pro-life” candidate, Trump promised during the debates that the “justices that I’m going to appoint will be pro-life. They will have a conservative bend.” While Clinton vowed to end the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal money from going to abortions, women’s right to chose under a Trump presidency will be severely threatened.

Trump also told an MSNBC reporter on live TV that “there has to be some form of punishment,” for women who have abortions. Since Trump’s potential Supreme Court appointments have terms for life, a woman’s right to choose is at risk of being lost for decades.

A President Trump will probably not prioritize creating laws that protect women assaulted in the work force. Trump told USA Today interviewers that action after being assaulted in the workplace has “got to be up to the individual.” Trump stated that if his daughter was harassed he would “like to think she would find another career or find another company.” Women simply cannot afford four years of policymakers who think women should just adjust their lives to in response to sexual harassment. Women need government action, not reaction.

In terms of racial justice, I can’t think of anything worse for the equality movement than having the first African-American president hand the keys of the White House to a man who has been hailed as a hero by the KKK.  In response to the election, David Duke, once grand wizard of the KKK, tweeted that Trump winning was “one of the most exciting nights of [his] life.” This isn’t just a step backward, it’s a leap into a previous century. Hate groups touting a Trump administration as a victory undercuts this country’s founding principles.

Even our checks and balances may not be enough to save us now. Since Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, stricter immigration policies are likely to follow this election result.  Whether we build a wall or mandate mass deportation, the reported 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are likely to be targeted. Many of these families fled their home countries to make better lives for themselves, but now they may be denied their chance of achieving “the American Dream.”  

Yet another group at risk is the LGBTQ+ community.  While Vice President-Elect Mike Pence was Governor of Indiana, he signed a bill that allowed businesses to turn away customers because of their sexual orientation. This type of discriminatory attitude in the White House is extremely dangerous; the LGBTQ+ movement has justed started to achieve national victories and any setbacks could halt the progress being made.

People across the country are disappointed with current government policies or lack thereof. But despite Trump’s promise to improve the lives of these disaffected Americans, any gains cannot be at the expense of other Americans and their livelihood.

Hate won this election.  I worry that this hate will fuel Trump to act even more radically as president, putting the well-being of Americans and the international community at risk.