What do you believe in?
By: Karin Kane
Tags: Politics, Racism, Trump Administration, Trump

An Open Letter to Anyone Who Chants, or Believes in, “Send Her Back”

What are you asking us, your fellow voters and citizens, to do? And why?

You say she hates America. Why do you believe that? She’s never said that. In fact, she’s dedicated her life, for at least a 2-year term, to serving her country. Have you done the same? Would someone who hates our country really commit to running in an election, and spending all of their personal time and a considerable amount of their own money, to support this country?

Or is because you don’t like her views? That’s fair. A lot of us don’t like each other’s views. I probably don’t like most of your political views, and you probably don’t like a lot of mine. But we each have a right to our own opinions. And, under the First Amendment of the US Constitution that you so proudly claim to support, she has a right to express her views just as much as you do.

Is it because she doesn’t like an ally of ours? Well, she’s not a citizen of that country; she’s a citizen of ours. She doesn’t have to like other countries, for any reason that she chooses. I don’t like Saudi Arabia or Russia, because they kill people who disagree with their state views. You may not like any Central American countries, because people in them have the audacity to consider moving to the US. We each get to have our own opinion.

Or maybe you just don’t think she’s as supportive as she should be of our current president? Fair enough. How supportive were you of the president just before this one? Did you like what he did? Or did you grumble, complain and criticize his policies? If you complained or criticized — why is she not allowed to do the same?

Or maybe you don’t think she’s fit to serve in Congress? You don’t have to think she is, because unless you live in her district, you weren’t asked to vote for her. You got to choose your own representative. The people in her district exercised their Constitutional right to vote — a right supplemented and supported by the 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments. Remember that Constitution that you support? It says that people get to vote for whomever they choose. Her district chose her. Are you saying that those rights don’t matter for people you don’t like? Or for people you don’t agree with? You really want to abolish our Constitution?

Or maybe because she’s an immigrant? Well… depending on who “she” is, she’s probably not. She was born in this country, just like you. And if she is — there are quite a few immigrants to this country serving in our House and Senate right now. Do you think they should all be sent back to the country of their birth?

Or maybe you just don’t like where her parents or great-grandparents came from. Heck, my great-grandparents came from Ireland, which was absolutely a bad place to be mid-1800s. There was no food. They were persecuted for their religious beliefs, and they were going to die if they couldn’t find a new home. Does that sound familiar — parents and children leaving their country for a chance at a better life? Aren’t you glad your Irish great-grandparents made it to the US too? Or your Scottish ones, who were kicked out of Scotland by the English in the 1700s? Or your English ones, who were kicked out by their religious beliefs? Almost everyone who came to this country did so to build a better life for themselves and, by doing so, create a better world to live in. After all, that’s what capitalism is supposed to be all about — the ability to work hard to build a better life for yourself. Anyone immigrating into the US is buying into that.

Or is it because she’s socialist?

Remember the part about not liking her views? You don’t have to. She doesn’t represent you. And if she does, you’ll have the ability to vote her out in the next election. Socialism is a big topic, but let’s be clear: quite a few of our existing government programs could be considered “socialist”. Here’s what that word means, thanks to the lovely folks at Merriam Webster: “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.” Can you think of anything that we’re doing now that redistributes goods? I can! How about Social Security? I pay into that right now. You might be too. You know who’s receiving the money that we’re paying in? Not me. You are, or your parents are, or your grandparents are. And for a lot of people, that’s the bulk of what they have to live on each month. How much support are you prepared to offer Grandma every month if that socialist Social Security check stops coming? Don’t like that example? How about Medicare? If you’re over 65, you’re qualified to use it. Do you? And if you do, do you think you could afford the prices of drugs without it? We’ve all seen the stories about skyrocketing drug prices, people joining caravans to Canada to get the insulin they need to survive at a price they can afford, kickstarter campaigns to pay for someone’s life-saving treatment…. Maybe you’re a millionaire and can pay market price for the drugs that prolong or support your life. But for the rest of us — we’re using a socialist system every day to provide support.

Or is it because she is not your religion? We’re back to the Constitution you claim to support again. Right here in the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”. In simple, straightforward American English words, that means that by law, Congress doesn’t consider your religion, and it doesn’t stop anyone (you or her) from choosing to be part of any religion she likes. Do you see anyone telling you what you can or can’t do because of your religion? What makes you think you get to do that to her?

Or is it just because it would be better if everyone just agreed with the president and we didn’t have so much divisiveness? Can you name another leader who just wanted everyone to agree with him? Who frowned upon differing views, and wanted people who didn’t look like him to just disappear? Here are a few names that should come to mind: Hitler, Stalin, the Kim clan in North Korea, Putin, Mugabe, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong…

Any of these sound familiar? Or is there another reason you want to “send her back”? Take a long, hard look in the mirror, my friends, and ask yourself what you really believe in. Think about what you’re supporting when you chant “send her back”. Is it really the US Constitution and the democracy we live in? Or is it the complete and total destruction of it?