The hate I felt directed toward me while trying to enter the Trump rally for Echo coverage is incomparable. The hate directed at me was based on nothing more than the fact that I was standing in a line with Trump supporters. I wish that level of hate on no one.

The Trump rally Oct. 12 drew massive crowds, both in support and opposition. When two sides so entrenched in their disgust for the opposition come in contact, it truly is a powder keg.

What alarmed me most about the experience was the dramatic change in treatment I felt when I crossed the line from protesters to Trump supporters. Within the protest crowd I did not feel threat- ened, but when attempting to enter the rally to cover it, the hate I felt from protestors was intense.

When I left the calm group of people expressing their First Amendment rights and entered the Trump line, some protesters quickly became angry participants set on scaring me, or worse. The shouts of “shame” and “you aren’t welcome here” are cemented in my memory.

The split second it took me to join a line of Trump supporters was all people needed to decide they hated me. The fact that opinions can change so quickly is terrifying. I found solace in the humanity of some of the trump supporters, specifically those who attempted to protect me from the heated crowd.

Admittedly, I did not feel very comfortable in the line of people trying to get into the rally, because parts of Trumps’ base are anti-women and anti-reporter, two of my defining characteristics. But the hostility I felt from the protestors was unmatched.

I implore everyone to not make quick judgments of those surrounding you. Take a minute, explore why you jumped to that conclusion, evaluate if it is accurate, learn more and then decide. You never know what someone has gone through, or why they think what they do from just looking at them. To understand their motivations you need to learn more.