Tag: immigration

 

`The Land of Opportunity’ stands against itself and the world

I don’t know what’s more disgusting: The Dotard in Covfefe, Donald J. Trump’s “shithole country” triad in the Oval Office of the White House in front of and with a multitude of others (…or we wouldn’t know about this), or those defending the statement in an ignorant response:

“If it wasn’t a shithole nation, then why are people leaving it?”

Someone didn’t pay attention in History class through their schooling. They also likely haven’t put weight on what has been repeated time and time again in film and other pop-culture sources; and by way of it they bless a racist wretch.

America is supposed to be the land of opportunity. It’s been that way for centuries. This nation is founded by immigrants and society is built upon the immigrant population from around the world (some of which was forced immigration in the years of slavery which can’t be denied or looked past). They came here for a chance in so many ways and America itself clung to the notion:

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Emma Lazarus, New Colossus

That does not translate into “their source country was a shithole.” If you’re an American and read that statement and think it does support sullying other countries around the world because they are shitholes – congratulations, you are living in a shithole right now governed by a tyrant who would rather bestow wealth upon himself and the upper-class than those looking for survival or a chance to accomplish a life.

And that tyrant has lived so much of his life only miles from the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, the monument that welcomes immigrants to these shores as accepted brothers and sisters. He’s lived close to it, he’s been exposed to it, and his words and actions as president show he doesn’t know it, doesn’t grasp it, and doesn’t care.

For the people of the world – those outside America – as a citizen of these United States, I apologize for what has been uttered by the president. The nations and people of the world have their own unique flavor and identities. For a person of such stature as the sitting president of a nation to utter slurs against them is ignorant, closed minded and disgusting. For those to defend actions like that is unfathomable and an acceptance of a social world war declared by the small minded.

We’re all unique in this world, we’re all different, and we should not be attacked and bullied because of these differences. We should be more willing to accept each other than denounce because of differences in race, creed and color.