What Happens Now?

[danaeris]

For many of you, the option of moving to another country is a mere hypothetical. For me, it is something I could do tomorrow.

I had planned to stay in the US, teach high school for five years to pay off my perkins loan (all 14K+ of it!), and then move to Canada at that point, either to Vancouver or Toronto.

The question is, does the election results change this at all?

I couldn't be drafted as far as I can tell -- I'm queer, have bad knees, bad eyes, and asthma.
I could lose the right to abortion and birth control, but that's not very likely according to some people.
Are there any reasons why staying here is hurting me more than its helping me?

There's two ways of looking at things:
If I stay, I can take action to change the political system over the next four years, before I move back to Canada. After all, I'd be a fool if I thought that American politics don't affect the rest of the world, and most especially Canada. And I have friends here I care about, who will have to live with what happens after this. I'm not concerned with the ethics of abandoning the United States -- I was raised in Canada and still primarily identify as such -- but I am slightly concerned about the fate of any friends I leave behind. Sure, they can look after their own interests to a point, but... I worry about the future of this country and the way it would impact the people I'd be leaving behind.

If I leave, I won't run the risk of getting too emotionally involved with people out here and becoming emotionally invested in staying against my best interests. I'll also have health care within three months of moving. I also would have the option of moving in with my parents if I so chose and taking some time to get my head on straight or go back to school, although it is questionable whether I could make any psychological progress while living with my parents.

Anyone have any thoughts on any of this?

Comments

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

There are so many ways to look at this, but ultimately comes down to doing what is best for you and making commitments to making the world a better place that are focused and possible.

It may be good to sit down and select one or two very specific issues you want to work on, and specific goals you'd like to see reached on each of those before you leave the country. Like working to standardise voting across the country and remove Diebold voting machines, or working on ensuring disenfranchised and new voters are educated about existing political issues now and form opinions well before the next election.

Given your concerns for your friends, though, it may be best to survey them and ask them which issues concern them the most and narrow it down to one or two so that you can work in their best interest. From there, have specific goals such as monitor legislation online for the state and federal government, write a certain number of letters and set a quota for the number of new voters you reach each month, etc. That way your actions are focused and methodical.

If you want to leave, what would be the benefit to you to leave? Would you still want to engage in activism in some level, or would it be of less importance in Canada?

I suppose for me, in your position, my biggest question would be what I would gain by being in Canada regardless of the political climate in the US. Because the winds of change can change swiftly, and even if Kerry had been voted in this time, who knows what the following 4 years would bring? If anything I've noticed in US politics, it has a more short-term view than many other countries and the general feel and culture of the US seems to shift with each administration. Flip flops, indeed.

[unseelie.livejournal.com]

your parents would drive you nuts.

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

You should have dinner with me.