Muslims both American and non-American are scared of what is happening in the United States. We've seen the pictures of refugee kids fleeing the United States being helped across the border by RCMP. It's all cute and shows the differences between Canada and the U.S. on a very superficial level.

What we are not paying a lot of attention to are the forces that are driving those kids parents to run. That was brought home to me this afternoon during a visit with my wife's daughter and her husband. Salima (that's her name) and Brian were planning to go to Orlando with a group of friends for spring break. Salima is the only Muslim in the group but they have been talking to other people in the States and her friends are concerned for her. They have decided to cancel Orlando and go to Cuba instead.

(I teased the heck out of them for choosing a communist dictatorship over the United States but they did note, in return, that some countries have posted travel warnings for Muslims considering travelling to the U.S.)

Going beyond that Salima's Dad, my wife's ex-husband, has lived in the U.S. for 25 years and is a senior executive at a major hospital in Atlanta. He is worried enough about the prevailing attitude toward Muslims that he has asked the girls to sponsor him so he can immigrate to Canada.

Even Amina, my wife, worries when she goes to the States to get gas. There are stories of random Muslims being pulled over, questioned for hours including being forced to give up computer passwords before being turned back.

For America this attitude could well be like the death of a thousand cuts, not just to its self respect but to its economy as well. The money those eight or ten kids would have spent in Florida wouldn't amount to much on it's own but how many other people are also rethinking vacation or business travel plans? Same thing if Amina decides not to buy gas (This is an arguing point with us. I'm Canadian and she's frugal.). The weak Canadian dollar is already hurting American border towns. American bigotry could kill them.

Then there's Parves. Although more than half way through his sixties he seems to be in real demand by American Hospitals. In the past few years he's been recruited in Los Angeles, Albany, New York and now Atlanta. No country should be eager to let it's fear cause them to lose the skills of him and probably many others like him.

(The good thing about Salima and her friends not going to Florida is I don't have to give up watching my Girls Gone Wild videos. There are some things you just should not see even accidentally. Not that I was really worried. This group of late twenties and early thirties weren't going for party time. Apparently there's a Harry Potter world there and they are fanatic fans.)

My kids are scared and worried for their kids, seeing this ugliness rising up in our country. I read an article featuring interviews of people who attended Trump's hanger hootenanny yesterday. One woman, asked if she thought the country could ever come together, said she didn't think so, except maybe when the Lord returns. It seems pretty hopeless. Organized ignorance is powerful.

I know several snowbirds who stayed home this winter.

A friend of mine who runs in corporate circles tells me that the companies she represents have ALL cancelled their conventions in the US. She tells me this represents some 15,000 people who will not be entering the US and spending their money. She also tells me that she's getting reports like this from all the other people who work in her professional field.

Trump is going to hurt America more than ISIS could.

jim, is there a reason you didn't post this in General? ~ it's an important and timely topic, and I'd like to move this thread to General with your permission ~

Sooz

No real reason other than it didn't come from a news story. Move it if you wish.