Please, Don’t Go to Canada
How we can turn our despair into power
The Canadian immigration website crashed in the middle of election night, as bit by bit it became clear that Donald Trump would indeed become the next President of the United States. I get it, I really do. I, too, joked with my parents and friends about moving to New Zealand, and when I woke up this morning full of despair, head in my hands, I wondered… could I really do it? Could I leave my home, and everything I know? And even if I could, is moving a country — or a hemisphere — away really the answer? Canada, we love you so please don’t take this the wrong way…
Don’t do it.
If we leave, he wins. Again.
If we leave, who will teach the next generation of American children that love, respect, and kindness are American values, not hatred, bigotry, and misogeny?
If we leave, who will be here to write and call our Senators when Trump nominates an anti-choice judge for the Supreme Court?
If we leave, who will welcome our Syrian refugees, and reassure our Hispanic neighbors, our Muslim neighbors, our African American neighbors, that this is their country, too?
If we leave, who will be here in four years to campaign for change?
If we leave, if we throw our hands up and walk away for the next four (or feasibly, eight) years, this feeling that you have right now, this black ball of despair roiling through your chest and your gut and your throat, will only get worse. It will get worse as we watch our country fall to pieces from afar. It will get worse because there will be no one here to stand up for the American values of freedom, equality and opportunity.
But if we stay; if we stay then we can make a difference.
If we stay, our children will be the voices on the playground that speak up when they see injustice.
If we stay, we can make it clear to the leaders of this country that a woman’s right to choose is not a right that is up for debate; that ship has left port and isn’t coming back.
If we stay we can show our neighbors that we love them, that we welcome them, that we are all American. Together.
If we stay, we can choose to be more politically active come the next election. We can choose to canvass, and make phone calls, and donate whatever resources we have — time, money — to make sure that the next President better represents our country, our values.
The President does not have absolute power; our government is built on a system of checks and balances that prevent a single individual from making unilateral decisions. There can be no wall, no overturning of Roe v. Wade, no expulsion of immigrants unless we, the people, allow it. Which brings me to my next point: don’t just stay, do.
America has been a country of democratic complacency for decades. Voter registration and turnout are embarrassingly low compared to our first world friends. Civic and political engagement is an afterthought, rather than a part of daily life. Posting your opinions on Facebook is a good gateway, but you need to take that next step. 63% of people who post something political online also take action in person — which is better than the national average of 48% — but from an impact perspective those in-person actions are much more meaningful. Your Facebook network reaches primarily like-minded individuals. Going door-to-door for a cause you believe in leads to conversations that could change a person’s mind (believe me, I’ve done it).
But the next election is four years away, and we need to contend with the current reality. So, don’t wait for the next election to do something; there are so many ways to have an impact right now. Let that black ball of despair galvanize you. Let it fill you with desperation, and then take all of that energy and focus it on doing something good, something great. Turn despair into power; good, positive, power. Talk to strangers. Volunteer. Write your Senators and Congressmen. Use your voice, your mind, your hands, your feet, your heart… together let’s take this moment and turn it into an opportunity. Stay. And win.
Rhiannon Menn was first a volunteer, then a full-time field organizer for President Obama’s 2008 campaign in North Carolina. She has knocked on more doors than she can count and changed the minds of voters in racially charged rural and suburban neighborhoods. She works full time for a family business, writes a food blog, and focuses her civic energies on issues of educational equity and equality.
