Yesterday, in the wake of Donald Trump’s stunning victory, famed venture capitalist (Uber and Hyperloop financier) and early Hillary Clinton supporter Shervin Pishevar announced he would fund a campaign encouraging the state of California to SECEDE from the United States. He insists his campaign is no joke; he is prepared to back the effort with millions of his own dollars, saying “it's the most patriotic thing I can do.” He nonsensically cites the 10th amendment as a basis for the legitimacy of his campaign.

Like so many Americans, we are SHOCKED by the results of Tuesday’s election and deeply worried about what a Trump presidency will mean for our country. We worry about his harsh rhetoric toward women and minorities, especially Muslims and Mexican-Americans. We worry his proposed economic and social policies. We worry about how America’s role in the world will change, especially as he leads the charge against open borders and globalization.

But we are far more worried about the future of our fragile DEMOCRACY, which has so far proven larger than any individual party, president, or social movement. Shervin Pishevar doesn’t seem to get this.

Elections have consequences. On Tuesday, Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States. He was not our candidate, and he may not have been yours. But when he is sworn-in on January 20th, he will become entitled to all of the privileges and responsibilities of the office. There is no indication that his election was illegitimate or any reason why he should not be given the same chance to govern like his predecessors. Both he and President Obama have shown tremendous grace over the last two days and committed to a respectful transition of power. Let’s hope this tone continues.

In the coming months, the Democratic Party will undeniably go through a process of soul searching. We will figure out what we got wrong in this election. The Old Guard will be replaced with new blood eager to take the party in a different, more inclusive direction. For those Americans like us opposed to Trump’s policies, we will begin organizing. We will build coalitions to protect our values and strategize on how to more effectively communicate with the public. The ACLU will train armies of lawyers to defend civil liberties. Just as the Tea Party movement sought to undermine President Obama’s political capital in his first midterm elections, a similar movement will emerge in the coming months. The marketplace for ideas will see high trading volumes. This is how the system works. And from it, we always seem to emerge a stronger nation.

Pishevar seeks to UNDERMINE our system. His answer to an imperfect union is to end the union; he wins the tug of war by cutting our rope. He seeks to sow a sentiment that America is over, and now is the time to leave. Silicon Valley overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump as a candidate. But we will not reject Donald Trump’s legitimate claim to the presidency, nor will reject the future of America. Marc Benioff, Silicon Valley’s most hardcore Clinton supporter, aptly congratulated Trump on his win and offered to work together. Many others have followed with similar messages.

The reason we opposed Trump is because he threatens our collective modern VISION for America. Pishevar’s vision is to throw in the towel.

Lawlessness in the wake of elections, including violent protests and the talk of secession, is common in other parts of the world. Not in America. America’s bloodiest war was its civil war. God forbid we ever see anything like that again. Shervin, people like you start wars.

Shervin, we call on you to immediately cease your unproductive and dangerous campaign and offer an apology. Perhaps you are doing it for your own fame; perhaps you are trying to be funny and proactive. In either case, know that it will only make you infamous and will draw no laughs. You are placing yourself at odds with our constitution and the liberal, democratic values it has inspired for several hundred years.