America: Love It Or Leave It?
Fourth of July reflections on that question
Whenever a left-leaning U.S. citizen criticizes this country, some right-leaning citizen is sure to respond with “If you hate America so much, why don’t you just leave?” This is one of the tamer versions of the question asked, intended more as provocation than a genuine query. Of those who respond, many liberals (politicians in particular) are quick to assert that they really do love America, they just want to make it a better place.
I am not one of those who loves America. Hate is a strong word, but it is an appropriate sentiment for how I have felt about this country for the last several years.
On the Fourth of July, 2022, my frustration with living in these disunited states reached an all-time high. As a Black transmasculine person, I could no longer justify or tolerate being a citizen of a country where human rights were at the whim of politicians and dependent on which state one happened to reside in, where mass shootings were a daily occurrence, and where police officers murdered with impunity.
I decided that I had to get out. Having already considered several options, I told my spouse that I wanted to move to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. I researched immigration and citizenship requirements and job opportunities. I re-started my…
