*I will start by noting that while this has a more serious tone than my other post, these observations have been a crucial part of my experience in Ireland, despite my political beliefs.* Since arriving in Ireland on the 6th, I can confidently say that I have had more stimulating and important discussions regarding American politics here than I had in America throughout the entirety of the campaigning process. The first conversation I had with a local in a taxi from the airport began with, "so, you're planning to miss the big inauguration then?" My class of international students at University College Cork is populated by nearly 500 Americans, all presumed to be "seeking asylum" in Ireland. Now, what I just told you are merely facts, experiences, and observations of my political encounters here, but there are two underlying ideas behind these experiences that bother me and motivated me to write this post. Firstly, I don't like being judged as a runner. I am here for a dream, my dream, one that has nothing to do with politics and that was planned long before our government became a primary topic of conversation. Secondly, I am absolutely staggered at the valuable and complex conversations I can have about the American government with students from Ireland, France, Germany, and Poland, as most of these conversations are for more respectful and knowledgable than the ones I was engaged in at home. It is important to recognize the closeness we experience in America and the ways in which it effects our core beliefs or how we express them. To address the first issue, it is ignorant to think that American citizens need asylum right now. It is fair to say that our politics are unstable, our country is divided, there is fear of social and economic injustice, and there is uncertainty regarding immigration. However, our lives have not been threatened yet. If certain Americans feel as if there life is threatened due to the platform of the president elect, I will say to you what my eloquent friend said to me last night: "It is not a question of what he will do to us, but what we will do to each other because of him." America, our home, does not benefit from lashing out in anger or acting up in pride and hate. As a voter, we participated in a democratic election, which means there will be a side who wins and a side who loses. And there will be plenty of others who feel disappointed either way. We should take pride in our system, no matter who leads it. The key to a strong America right now is not running, not shaming our country or each other, but standing strong with your fellow Americans and practicing interpersonal respect and acceptance. To the people in Ireland who presume we have sought "asylum" here, I say, I did not run from America, and I am still very much American. I stand now and always with my fellow Americans in this fight to remain grounded during a tense, uneasy, and divisive time. "It is not a question of what he will do to us, but what we will do to each other because of him." The second issue is frustrating but also very understandable on an emotional level. One of the first things we learned as a community during the campaign process was "don't upset the other side." The candidates were making so many waves, we didn't want to make more ourselves. We got scared and kept our mouths shut. Or we only opened our mouths in an environment that we knew was not hostile, one where our beliefs were validated and supported. As things escalated we grew fearful, exhausted, and weary of the same stories and widespread anxieties. Now, people are simply over it. People sit silently in apprehension trying to come to terms with a defeat. It is difficult, and it is scary, but this is the natural outcome of a democratic election. One wins, one loses. One side is thrilled, the other frightened. Here in Ireland, without the in-your-face nature of the election and without scattered eggshells to dance around, I have found that the separation allows for a much more reasonable and respectful political conversation that is dedicated much more to the sharing of thoughts and ideas, no matter who voted for who. The separation allotted for students from all over Europe has allowed them to learn so much about the election that are so beyond the bipartisan split. As Americans, although we partake in a bipartisan election, we should be able to think outside the two small boxes. Look at all evidence equally, honestly, and openly, what ideas come up and why? These conversations are what our voices should be used for. We should be talking in turns for other people to hear, not drowning out each other's voices with deafening sounds. This is how we educate each other and how we function as growing citizens of the world.
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