I am hoping, without actual hope, that 6 January doesn’t become another negative turning point in US history like 11 September.
What I can say is that there are still those who don’t believe we had a fair election in fall of 2020. There are those who like keeping the electoral college since it gives more weight to smaller states with fewer citizens. That there are those who just don’t like the idea that the face of the US is changing.
And really, the land that is now US/Canada didn’t start out white. Both gained huge amounts of population from immigration. That immigration wave from Europe has long since passed (and at least in the US, Eastern Europe was also considered lesser – so that not all whites are considered equal either). Later waves of immigration come from those countries and areas of the world where the pain of moving and resettling brings more chance of a better life, economic growth, or personal safety than staying home.
Think about it – why would anyone emigrate from Scandinavia or Luxembourg? What would an individual gain? Less of a social support network? Equally high expenses and perhaps lesser pay? No guarantee of health care? Now – what if you are from Central America, what do you gain? The chance to maybe get an education, feed your family, sleep at night with less fear of guerrilla fighters coming in the middle of the night.
I may not be popular with the following: I don’t care how your ancestors arrived in the US, it is what you do with your own life. Yes, being female puts you at a disadvantage, or being “not white” puts you at a disadvantage. But, as one of the nurses with whom I work regularly said – I came here from Africa at the age of 23 unable to read or write. I worked hard, I went to night school, I learned, I went after grants, I now have a good job. Not every one is going to succeed, be they white, purple, or green. But we can all do our part to be welcoming and to give everyone a chance
YES! I agree!