Finding the positives of being born in a Sh%@hole country

Been trying to catch up on some reading this month.  Working through the December edition of the National Geographic magazine, I recently read a wonderful article called Africa's Tech Generation.  It detailed the amazing contributions of some African born entrepreneurs who are simultaneously creating a better life for themselves while improving the lives of those in their communities.

For those of us who take for granted internet access as well as all the other advantages that the tech age has provided for us, it is important to remember that if not for our good fortune to have won the birth lottery in being born in the western world, in general, and America in particular, we might be faced with the daunting challenge that 78% of the population born on the African continent face; no way to go online.

That the individuals detailed in the article overcame this obstacle, first, by being identified as an above average student thereby qualifying for a more advanced education, then by applying the knowledge they were given to identify and address a problem in their world, and finally to have the perseverance and drive to obtain the computer time, funding, and opportunity to make their dream a reality, is inspirational  But, when perceived in the context that for every one who made it, there are tens of thousands who never had even a glimmer of a chance to walk a similar path, it is also very sad.  The sheer magnitude of the realization that there exists such a loss of potential is staggering.

The good news is that start-up money, access to other young people from the West with similar characteristics, and the encouragement for others who can see hope in the successes of those from their home countries, will combine to quicken the pace of internet access, in addition to the more overriding belief that the time will come when an African born child will be provided the same opportunities and advantages that a Western born child enjoys.

Unless, of course, the attitude expressed by President Trump in his recent description of those born in Haiti, and in African countries, is not addressed.  While many people are as alarmed by his overt racism as I am, there are far too many Americans that either share his viewpoint, or are unwilling to take him to task for fear of losing the opportunity to advance their political and economic agendas.

In some ways, I feel sorry for President Trump and those who are so willing to dismiss those born with a different skin color or in a different country, without regard to the depth of their character or the size of their heart.  They are missing out on such possibilities!  We all have our prejudices and preconceived notions which limit how much of life we might enjoy.  When we refuse to eat certain foods that look or smell strange, or refuse to travel to or learn about certain areas where we might encounter people of different cultures, or when we avoid engaging with certain people who express their individuality in ways that are foreign to us, we miss out on life.  And we only hurt, and limit ourselves.

Does President Trump ever wonder why our creator developed a world where people spoke different languages, looked different, fell in love without regard to gender, and established cultures, religions, and institutions in a myriad of ways?  Does he and his ilk ever think that life is not just about amassing large sums of money but about exploring the host of variances that exist within mankind?  It is certainly not easy to remove oneself from the rigors of everyday life, but to consciously avoid the knowledge that the world consists of a tremendous variety of people, and that those unlike us are inferior, is a shame.    

There is no honor is telling the poor, huddled masses of the world, the refugees fleeing war torn countries, or the children whose only crime was that their parents crossed an arbitrary line in the sand in hopes of providing a better life, that they are unwelcome in America.  Especially when the reason is prejudice and fear.

It is very easy to only invite people like yourself to your home, or your country.  There is no easier a task than to stay in one's comfort zone.  Fortunately, our ancestors, those who do not have an American Indian heritage, thought differently.  They took the risk to leave their birth nation to provide a better life for their progeny, just as my grandparents did, just as President Trump's grandparents did.

For those young men and women on the African continent who were presented to us in that Nat Geo article, they shared an even more amazing trait; to stay where they were born and make life better.  In some ways, it is even more noble than the trek of our ancestors who sought a better life, and reflects even more poorly on the attitude expressed by President Trump, who, in his ivory tower of discrimination, thinks his dismissive perceptions of those born in Africa makes one iota of difference to those dreamers.   They will succeed with or without our help.  We can only hope they treat us better should the circumstances change and we are the people living in a sh%$hole country.

In the meantime, perhaps we need to stop pretending that America First is anything more than an excuse to justify the dehumanization of anyone that doesn't look or think like ourselves, and embrace the creator's vision of Earth; a cornucopia of life filled with a diaspora of humanity that emerged (from Africa) in pursuit of liberty and happiness.