No April Foolin’ here.
Whenever there is a national election, there are always people who say “If so-and-so is elected, I’m getting outta the country!” Yeah, right. I doubt that even one in a thousand of those who talk that talk actually walk even a few steps of the walk.
After Trump won several state primaries, a website on how to move to Canada received so many hits that its servers crashed. Even so, there was no mass exodus across the border in 2017.
In last week’s essay I discussed what we should do if a fascist or extremely religious government does take over the U.S. For some people, fleeing the country may be their best bet. However, unless you do face violent persecution, staying here so you can fight back may be a better option. Emigration should be a last resort. Some of this essay will be redundant, but this essay grew out of the previous one, and some of the points I made previously bear repeating.
Moving to Canada entails a lot more than piling your lares and penates, the cat, and Junior’s Pokemon card collection into the SUV and heading north. Visit any website about how to emigrate to Canada – or another country – and you will see it’s rather complicated.
Even if you get accepted as an immigrant, or a refugee, settling in a foreign country can be expensive.You will have to move a lot of your personal belongings, which could cost thousands of dollars. You will have to find a new place to live and a new job. You probably will have to get a sponsor. You may have to learn a new language, and you certainly will have to learn a new culture. Finally, if you decide to renounce your US citizenship, that will be another big expense.
Besides, if your country is going in the wrong direction, it’s often better to stay and resist. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Contact your elected officials, sign petitions, take part in peaceful demonstrations, attend phone and text banks and postcard-writing parties, and above all, do your homework on those running for office, and VOTE!
Of course, if a real bugnut extremist does get in the White House, and Congress is overrun by right-wing wack jobs, certain people in this country will face persecution and arrest. Non-binary people, anybody who stands up for real science, anybody who is of the “wrong” race or ethnicity or creed, known activists who support certain causes, and many others will risk the ol’ midnight knock on the front door. The urge to flee will be very strong for them if they feel that they have no support network here, or a thin one that cannot accord sufficient protection.
Indeed, for some people emigration may actually make sense. One need but consider the fate of Jews who found themselves at the mercy of the merciless Nazi regime. In some countries today, many people face persecution and even death due to their ethnicity, creed, gender identity or sexual orientation. Even today, in the United States, non-binary people are regularly and often ruthlessly harassed and bullied, and numerous atheists feel as though they must keep quiet about their non-faith lest they face discrimination.
To stay, or not to stay – that is the question. You will have to play this by ear so you can decide whether it is (more or less) safe to stay, or if you really need to bug out. If you are a member of a group that is likely to face violent persecution, you may want to start doing your homework now. Also, you will have to consider the expenses and other problems that emigration entails. How much can you take with you? How will you find work and make friends in your new country? Will you have to learn a new language? Can you get to your destination by car, or will you have to take a plane or ship? Which of your possessions can you sell or donate in order to reduce the burden? Do you have kith or kin in another country, who can sponsor you or at least provide a place to stay? Are you a member of an international group that can assist its members when they move?
