Kavita Nanda: Uncivil behavior must end

I am an American. I have been proud to be a citizen of this great country. Recently, I have had second thoughts.

Recently, as I was jogging on a beautiful day in my hometown of Cary, I heard an engine throttle, and a man in a truck drove by, pointed his fingers at me, and yelled “bang-bang!”

Later, as I held up a “Women for Hillary” sign at the polls, I was taunted by a man holding a large Trump sign. My group was handing out candy, and someone knocked the candy bowl over. As I bent down to pick it up, along with the male volunteer next to me, I heard the Trump supporter say, “Oh look at you, all Monica Lewinsky.”

This kind of behavior and rhetoric is appalling, unconscionable and should not be tolerated by anyone. Yet this is the kind of uncivil behavior our president-elect has inspired.

I now fear for myself, my children and others who don’t fit the “mold” of what some consider “true Americans.”

For our country to unify and heal, our elected officials must rise to their positions and call for an immediate cessation of such actions.

This story was originally published November 13, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Kavita Nanda: Uncivil behavior must end."