My ode to the US of A...

My relationship with the USA goes back a long way.  In 1976 Jimmy Carter came to my home town, planted a tree and we all waved the Stars & Stripes at the end of our school field as he drove by, we were excited, not sure why but we knew where America was, and what it meant to us, cowboys, yellow taxis, skyscrapers, Starsky & Hutch etc, the USA was a an icon that seemed friendly and creative. As I grew up and I studied history I learnt of Pearl Harbour, D Day, Hiroshima etc and the stories of how the USA saved us from the Nazis (the Soviet Union's role was whitewashed at the time due to the cold war).  I met my first American in 1982 on a school trip in Belgium (at the site of the Battle of Waterloo), they were tall, loud and friendly and curious about the fact we came from a place called Washington in England.  In 1996 I went to the USA for the first time, New York, and it was every thing I imagined, the thrill of seeing the skyline of Manhattan from JFK airport, the yellow taxis, the school buses, the fire trucks, hearing the accents and seeing icons in the flesh made my 26 year old self very excited. On that trip I was introduced to Rebecca, an NYU student from Chicago who remains one of my good friends today. She showed me her city and American hospitality and I need to remember her and my other American friends when I look at the USA today, when I read of travel bans, billionaires in the cabinet (people like DeVos who bought her place in that cabinet), racist attorney generals, white supremacists working in the White House and a volatile, morally bankrupt tv personality as president (who didn't win the popular vote).  I have always admired the US electoral system (but not the barriers to voting that exist across the 50 states), it seemed to assure stability and balance with a Supreme Court there to steer the way and ensure people were treated fairly.  These things seem to be at risk with President Trump.  He has promised a lot of things to a lot of angry, ill informed people but think about those promises?

Draining the Swamp in Washington DC: did that mean reforming politics to better represent the people of the USA or did it mean filling the cabinet with millionaires and billionaires and white supremacists and isolationists?

Making the USA safer: did that mean forming strong alliances with existing allies and reaching out or did it mean banning innocent people, refugees, friends of the USA, from entering the company but ignoring the countries that actually threaten the USA?

He is also threatening the health of the poorest in the USA and women's reproductive rights, he is insulting allies, stirring up racism and encouraging ignorant debate and lies. He insults the judiciary for doing it's job and puts the lives of judges at risk if they decide against him.  Remind you of anyone?

All of the Americans I know are hospitable people, well educated, curious about the world and a diverse bunch of people with ancestors from all over the world, that is the USA I know and love, not this bitter, angry, hate filled place where it is ok to scream at Muslims, insult Mexicans and a man renowned for groping women and bankrupting companies can become president, is this really the American Dream?

I have not visited the USA since 2011 and I lived there during the GW Bush years and though I thought he was an idiot, he was contained by strong and relatively sensible advisers and a cabinet.  I am reluctant to visit the USA in 2017 until I see how things go. The USA, a country of 320 million people, diverse, usually warm and hospitable, creative and strong has taken a strange, potentially dangerous turn and this USA-phile is worried for it and my friends.

I hope this presidency is short and does as little harm as possible.

February 11, 2017