I offended a friend on Facebook the other day with a post. An American friend. It wasn't my intention.....at all. I disagree with almost everything he thinks and says but I like him and respect him and I get a kick out of him. Agreeing with him isn't required to be his friend.
I post things about gun control (which I believe in) and equality for gender and sexuality (which I believe in) and OH-MY-GOD-TRUMP-IS-A-FUCKING-DANGEROUS-ORANGE-PSYCHO (which I also believe). I have relatives in Texas who own handguns and while that makes me feel twitchy it doesn't make me love or respect them any less. They are truly some of the finest people I know.
People talk about how friendly Canadians are. We aren't. Polite? Absolutely. Friendly? Not so much. Americans are friendly.... incredibly friendly. They chat you up at the gas station and on public transit and on the street. They are curious and open and direct. I like that about them. I really love Americans and I enjoy spending time in the US.
American friends and family - here is what I want you to know. I get why you feel like the world is critical of you. I get why you feel like we don't understand. I get why you feel defensive. Here's what I don't think you get....
We love you. We worry about you and we worry about your children. From the outside looking in, it's terrifying. We want your gay nephew to be able to walk down the street without fear of violence. We want your children to go to school without having to worry about a lunatic gunning them down. We want your peaceful Muslim neighbour to feel safe (and for you to feel safe around them too). We want this because we care about you, not because we're being critical.
There have been 70 people killed in the US due to mass shootings so far in June 2016. We are only half way through the month. It hurts to watch. It's unnecessary and heartbreaking and we worry about you.
This blog post isn't about gun control. It's not about Donald Trump. It's not about a political stance. It's not about fear or anger or violence or judgement. It's about love. When I went to look for an image to post with this blog I didn't choose the one of the American flag tattered and torn and burned (it was one of the first that came up when I did a google image search).
I chose the one in the shape of a heart because the world loves you and we just want you to be safe.
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