As an American living abroad, I get asked all the time when I am going to move back to the States. And people are always shocked by my answer: Never. There will be no America for my kids.
There seems to be this global misconception that living in America is the greatest thing that can happen to someone. But you know what, it isn’t. Or at least it isn’t anymore.
As an almost outsider looking in, I can only stare and wonder what the hell is going on over there. How can women be up in arms over Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to eliminate telecommuting (which has NO direct or likely even indirect impact on their lives), be so angry that they write books and blog posts and go on tv and the radio, but sit back in silence as the US government shuts down and attempts to derail the US and world economy in the process?
How can US parents not see that all of this fighting, this tearing the country into two parts, is going to have a drastic impact on the very children they seek to protect in every other area?
How can we adults continue to promote and reward volatile rhetoric among our nation’s leaders and then ask ourselves why there is so much public bullying and shaming in our schools? HELLO – are we stupid? How can we not see that this is connected?
How can we expect our country to lead the world when its population is making decisions based on a platform that is closer to fan fiction than the truth? From birthers to anti-climate change to the anti-evolutionists – why are we letting these complete morons shape the policies that will not only govern, but also influence and educate our children?
So I’ve left and I am not planning to come back. I don’t want my personal next generation to be a bunch of bigoted idiots running around yelling at everyone and refusing to take the blame or responsibility for the messes they made. I’m not saying that things are perfect where I am, but when people disagree they still find some way to keep the government doors open and keep the discourse productive.
So fellow Americans, you are on notice. Until I see you out in the streets demanding that the government get its collective shit together, I don’t want to hear one more discussion about breast vs. bottle, SAHM vs. WAHM vs. working mom, is North West a dumb name, should Miley wear more clothes or will Lindsay Lohan ever work again. That shit does not matter. And until you clue into that, you and your kids are not going to matter to the rest of the world.