For the last year and a half the United States was preoccupied with the Presidential race. Now that it’s over, some people are finding it hard to let go. About half the voters are happy and the other half are upset.

This seems to be a good time to reflect on how winners and losers should respond. Take a look at this perspective.

Just like sports, politics operates by a set of rules. And we Americans have agreed to abide by them. But unlike sports, politics isn’t a game. There are real consequences for everyone. So how should we respond? Talk about the challenges and possibilities at your family dinner table:

• If your candidate won and a candidate supported by a friend lost, what would you say to that friend? What would you hope they might say to you if the situation were reversed?
• If someone you know gloated about a candidate’s victory, how would you respond?
• Some of the protesters have been chanting, “he’s not my president.” What do you think about these chants and the #NotmyPresident hashtag that has been widely used on social media?
• There have been reports of bullying and hate speech from both the right and left in the wake of the election. Many have called for the candidates and other political figures to step in and call for an end to the violence. What responsibility do you think the candidates have for the behavior of their supporters?
• Whether their candidate won or lost, Americans will all still share a nation and a government for the next four years. What is one thing you feel you can do to help promote unity right now?