I am disappointed in the federal government of the United States of America.
Not that I've never been disappointed before.
I am disappointed in the population of Americans who continue to walk around with an elitist attitude about how "great" our country is while we disparage nations still developing that are not up to our standards of living.We need to do a better job of understanding our privilege while acknowledging that the privilege does not make us better than the people in another country in any way, shape, or form. The prevalence of racism here in the United States is one part of the problem. The other is the very denial of that racism. Thinking oneself is better than another because of skin color, religion, sexuality, or nation of origin is racist and the blatant ignorance of this fact causes me much grief.
Being a white woman, I do not have the firsthand experience that people of color and immigrants to the United States experience. But that does not mean I should be silent. The racially charged comments made by the acting President of the United States disgust me. They disgust my Muslim friends. They disgust my friends of color. This is not a matter of political policy and party agenda anymore, it is a matter of human decency. This isn't just about a Mexican border wall, or a Muslim ban, or the uproar surrounding kneeling at football games. It's about the attitude I see in interviews by people like President Trump, Tomi Lahren, and primarily conservative voices, where immigrants and refugees are looked down on.
A year ago at this time I was in Nicaragua on an immersion trip with a dozen other students, a Jesuit, and our guides for the trip. We visited people all over Managua and its surrounding area, to learn and immerse ourselves in the culture of Nicaragua. It was a breathtaking experience and one I will never forget. Yes, Nicaragua is not classified as a developed country, and there was a lot of poverty and corruption. The country of Nicaragua, however, does not give up. A woman living near the dump in Managua talked about how her community grew because people worked for the dump. She showed us her house that she opened up to sick people, learning how to treat malaria and other illnesses. She opened up her shop, full of handmade goods made by people who lived all over Nicaragua. She told us the story of how her neighbors fixed her house after the roof cracked in an Earthquake.
This woman glowed with pride when she talked about Nicaragua. The country's history is riddled with corruption and US intervention and lot's of other problems, but she did not want us to pity her. Her faith in God and her ability to welcome anyone with open arms was beautiful and inspiring. She loved everyone in her life and you could tell she was going to spend the rest of her life fighting for her friends and family to have a better quality of life.
She had something that I don't come across in the United States as often. She had compassion and faith unlike I had ever seen before. Even in her suffering. With all her accomplishments and the number of people she helped, she was humble.
The United States seems so much more focused on the corporate world: the stock market, unemployment, and 'getting rich.' Her ambitions were not to become a multi-millionaire, but to live in service of her community. This is not to say that every person in the United States or every person in Nicaragua has the same ambition, rather, that we come from different places; but, that does not make us better than another. Other developing nations like Haiti and Senegal have similar struggles and experiences that Nicaragua has with corruption, inequality, and illness. The people, however, are just as human and just as valuable as we Americans are. They do not some from "shithole countries" and letting them in does not make us worse off. They are more open than we are in that sense. Our focus on the corporate world may make immigrants from developing nations less experienced than other workers, but that does not make them any less valuable.
I am sick of the hate and discrimination surrounding people of color, immigrants, or anyone who does not fit the mold in the eyes of American society. The principles that this country were founded on have been forgotten. At one point, people came here seeking freedom from persecution--so now that we've become a developed nation do we no longer wish to be a nation of refuge for others seeking persecution?
On this day where we celebrate the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we must remember more than just his "I Have A Dream" speech. His legacy is greater than the fight for desegregation. Dr. King once said, "Large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity." After the year we've had in the wake of electing Trump, I think this is still true. As long as we, as a nation, allow people like Trump to make racist comments without punishment, status quo will be maintained and justice will be forgotten. We need to shift the attitude to one where we consider our humanity over 'tranquility.' One where race, religion, gender, sexuality, and creed do not determine success or acceptance. One where people can actually be proud to be American, rather than disappointed.
