A US divided into ‘us’ and ‘them’

I’ve always considered myself an American “liberal”. Now, having lived in Switzerland for two years and watching the current US elections unfold overseas, my view of the US, and society in general, has been altered. Living abroad and travelling extensively has given me the opportunity to meet and experience many different cultures and people. It has made me hyper-aware that the world is smaller than we think, and the people living in it are not all as bad as they are being portrayed by a certain Presidential candidate. The United States – a country that was once about unity and presenting one common voice to the rest of the world – has now divided its voices. We were a great country. We aided in wars and landed men on the moon. We were an inviting country . . . “Give us your tired, your poor. . . .” Now people in the US want to turn away anyone who looks or speaks differently, because they’re afraid. Since moving to Europe I’ve become more ...