I never thought I’d say this, in what I used to believe was the greatest country in the world, but I don’t feel safe in America. Will I continue to be stripped of my rights? When will it end? Should I get out now?
Am I still safe in America?
I realized the other day that I no longer feel completely safe in the United States of America.
I remember my father saying that “It could happen here…” I was saddened by his pessimism, his wounds. Now, as a gay, HIV+, almost senior man of Jewish heritage, I can understand his fear. I feel under siege.
I grew up in the American Dream; believing in my country; never doubting that I was fortunate to have been born in 20th century America–the best country in the world.
♦◊♦
My grandparents were born in Europe and came here with virtually nothing as refugees from persecution. My parents, first generation Americans, fought for their beloved country: My father as a decorated paratrooper in WWII–my mother as a dietician in the Nursing Corps. They met in Fort Benning, Georgia in 1945–idealistic New Yorkers–eloping eight days later. I was born in 1951, their third son. I was raised in the post war boom years amidst progress of every stripe: Economic prosperity, the civil rights movement, landing on the Moon. It wasn’t all easy: American apartheid ended, we survived Vietnam. I graduated from an Ivy League university and embarked on a life of exploration, both personal and social. I had the privilege to travel the world, to participate in arts projects on three continents and then to see AIDS galvanize my community into activism and survival.
Today I am writing in the guest room of dear friends, newly married and gay.
Again: Why do I feel unsafe?
Because I have lived in a bubble of privilege—an illusion that 21st Century America can no longer sustain. Even as I gain further civil rights, I see the right wing and the Republican party trying to take them away. Health care, privacy, separation of church and state–these rights are neither sacrosanct nor secure.
Do I need to have an exit plan if Obama is defeated in November? Might I need to be one of the “smart” ones who got out before it was too late? Can I really be having these thoughts? I am not alone in these concerns, having spoken of them in the last week with friends of varied races and ethnicities I find that I’m not considered a crank.
Yet, I still have hope. I believe in the process of change and that, if re-elected, Obama might dare to continue fulfill his promise. We might yet hold firm to progressive development vis-à-vis human rights and access to social services. The Great Society might yet endure–and, if we legalize marijuana, ending the useless ‘War on Drugs’, we might even prosper.
Once again, I am reminded to take action and stay awake. We’ll see…
Flag photo from Shutterstock
“Every time you get on a plane, you have a choice between being photographed naked or sexually assaulted.”
Alright, now, let’s not get hyperbolic. Getting patted down is not the same as being sexually assaulted, not by any stretch of the imagination. And the full body scan is not a photo of you naked. The results make you look about as sexual as a mannequin.
Also, in most of the U.S. jaywalking is not really an enforced crime.
Not to mention that more and more only computers look at the scanner images
As a foreigner who has spent a lot of time in the US, I can say that things are already that bad… Every time you get on a plane, you have a choice between being photographed naked or sexually assaulted. I remember in 2004 I was shocked to be fingerprinted on entry to the US. Talk about presumption of guilt. Now I am used to it. Healthcare is totally inadequate, and bizarrely twice as expensive as anywhere else in the developed world. Western Europe has a 40 hour maximum working week, and minimum wages that can be lived off. Life… Read more »
I don’t necessarily think that it matters which party is in power for our civil rights to be eroded. We are doomed either way.
While serving in the Army, I was stationed in Europe for about 3 years. I traveled quite a bit while I was there, and have explored the US, Canada, and Mexico since my return. There have been times, esp. durig the Bush II era, that I have despaired over the future of our country. Despite Obama ‘s election, I’m still concerned about the erosion of civil rights, economic disparity, etc. I’m going to be engaged soon, and have a teenage son. Every now and then, I get this fantasy to move us to a place that would be more progressive,… Read more »
As someone who knows a lot about American politics/political history, I always find it somewhat amusing how those at both extremes of the political spectrum always seem to be in a panic and threaten to leave the country every four years if their preferred candidate is not elected. Yet, afterwards, no one from either sides actually makes it past the border. Its like some sort of chicken-little syndrome.
Dear “someone who knows a lot about American politics/political history:”
I suggest that there was nothing in what you wrote to me that would indicate such a thing, but I am delighted to have amused!
LOL…come on, you’ve never heard of quadrennial political migration syndrome?
Dear “delighted to have amused”,
Your original comment supports my observations, thanks! You had a “plan B” in 2000 that you never utilized over the 8 Bush years due to “circumstances”. There always seems to be an execuse for those who make such declarations of their conditional exodus from the country.
I also feel uncertain about my rights, except that unlike the author, I worry more about my traditional rights being steadily eroded by the paternalistic Administrative Welfare State that regards traditional freedoms as nothing more than inconveniences to protecting individuals from themselves. The American Left talks a lot about ‘rights’, but the only rights they seem to care about are those that do not inconvenience the paternalistic State. Individual rights necessarily imply limited government, no matter how the avatars of the Administrative Welfare State try to obfuscate the conversation. The bureaucratic class has a vested interest in encouraging dependency, and… Read more »
What specific rights are you referring to?
ohh, jeeez. We’ve got to put teh screens back on the windows – there are libertarians getting in!
Frankly though, while both parties are pretty bad, the Republicans will pay no more than lip service to libertarian ideals for the common man, while failing very badly and being sexist and racist AT THE SAME TIME.
To date two Presidents have supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. One was George W. Bush, the other was Ronald Reagan. Of the two, Ronald Reagan succeeded, while Bush’s efforts were shot down by Democrats in congress (the Democrats had a majority in congress and could have passed the immigration reform bill without a single Republican vote…they could not get this together).
I’d say both parties are pretty good at oppression.
My knowledge (limited as it might be) of US history tells me that the founding fathers believed that the government is the single biggest threat to freedom of a people NOT a foreign gov but your own.
Yes, they did. Tragically, they overlooked the threat posed by corporations and left loopholes in our system that have been expanded and exploited ever since. These days, it’s corporate power–which outrights owns our government–that is the biggest threat to freedom.
I am Canadian but from my limited observations as an outside, I believe the US is one terrorist act way from completely destroying its consitituion.
Can you just imagine the chaos if there was another 9/11, one of the same magnititude and devestation. Look at what happened after 9/11. Another one would push people completely over the edge.
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”
I love this quote and believe more people should be forced to read it and understand it.
Great article. I feel much the same way. I can trace my family directly to Plymouth Colony in 1602. Yet I am denied the same rights afforded to all who adhere to some judao-christian biblical model that isn’t true in the first place. I won’t be leaving the USA but I don’t feel like I am treated with equality at all. There is still so much fear and hate here. Look what N.Carolina just did. I could write a book.
You asked: “Again: Why do I feel unsafe?” I guess my answer would be, because you’re smart. I’ve had a plan B since the Bush years, which after all have given birth to what has grown into the Radical, Terrified, Mean Spirited Right Wing that are reflections of Bush/Rumsfeld/Cheney but without Cheney’s saving grace; his support of his Lesbian daughter. These Reactionary of the Right are having a difficult time these days. Imagine being them for a moment and having to open your morning newspaper to face the image of a Black Man, who lives in the White House and… Read more »
“I have lived in a bubble of privilege”
Welcome to reality 😉 Robert. Kudos to your honesty.
As a matter of fact, nobody has ever been safe. Safety is mostly a superstition – albeit a very enticing one.
Of course, Republicans and right-wingers make it even worse. 🙄
“At the very least, if Romeny’s President, that’ll be four more years without any progress on the federal level. And that scares the hell out of me…the idea that my civil rights are so dependent on which political party is in office.”
And that is exactly why I don’t want Obama in office. Four more years of increasing the taxes taken out of my paycheck to pay for everyone’s problems except mine.
Obamacare would be fine… if only women had to pay for it.
Increased taxes are not violating your civil rights. And my understanding of the ACA is that there are non-gendered healthcare costs that are covered, and there are female-only healthcare costs that are covered. There seems to be a lack of male-only healthcare costs covered. But that doesn’t mean that the ACA doesn’t cover men at all. For crying out loud.
Not to mention, this article isn’t about the ACA. It is completely unrelated.
“Not to mention, this article isn’t about the ACA. It is completely unrelated.” – The writer refers to “Healthcare” as a right that might be taken away. Since healthcare has never been a “right”, at least prior to ACA, what else is he referring to? “There seems to be a lack of male-only healthcare costs covered. But that doesn’t mean that the ACA doesn’t cover men at all.” – There may be a lack of federally-recoginzied gay marriage, but that doesn’t mean that there is no gay marriage at all. I guess men and gays have nothing to complain about… Read more »
Let’s be honest, Jimmy, unless you’re making a good amount of money, your taxes have gone down, not up. The simple fact is that the Bush administration almost single-handedly destroyed the American economy and we’re going to have to raise taxes in order to bring everything back into balance. We’ll need to be taxing at a 22% + GDP level in order to start addressing the debt issue.
Collin,
You are absolutely correct. It was completely irresponsible of the Bush administration to go out and force all those people to buy homes they couldn’t afford. It was definitely the Bush administration that made people lie about their ability to pay back mortgages. It was also the Bush administration that decided to pass a huge expensive healthcare act while the nation was in a recession.
Oh…wait…
Those are not the drivers of the debt. You have absolutely zero understanding of economics. The bush tax cuts are the primary drivers of the exploding national debt, followed closely by the bush wars (unpaid for) and the bush medicare expansion (also unpaid for).
It was absolutely the bush administration that gutted regulations allowing banks to prey on individuals without a strong financial education.
The ACA has not actually contributed to the debt. Sorry, but try again. You are completely, 100% wrong.
I’ve definitely felt the same way…particularly in worrying about what will happen if Romney becomes President in November. I think our system is such that he may have a difficult time rolling back lgbt rights…but if there were enough conservatives in Congress it wouldn’t be impossible. At the very least, if Romeny’s President, that’ll be four more years without any progress on the federal level. And that scares the hell out of me…the idea that my civil rights are so dependent on which political party is in office.