I’m reminded of what Rachel Maddow from MSNBC said when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States.
You’re awake by the way. You’re not having a terrible, terrible dream. Also, you’re not dead and you haven’t gone to hell. This is your life now.
I’m so furious with the Trump Administration’s reckless actions. I can barely speak. I have been following the news, but not reading other blogs. I am responding by writing down my feelings. This is my opinion, my vent.
Right after the election, I wrote a post entitled What Does the Future of Travel and Travel Loyalty Programs Look Like After Trump Becomes President?
My concerns were an understatement compared to what has actually occurred in the days since Trump became president of the United States.
He looks for simplistic answers, without thinking of the reality, the repercussions or the ripple effect of a sloppily drafted sweeping order resulting in a devastating ban on entry to the USA by millions of people.
We are a country of immigrants. We are all refugees. We are built on tolerance.
How can this man who purports to be my president simply ban refugees and people from seven primarily Muslim countries from entering the United States? People are being detained and turned away, even those whose backgrounds have been fully “vetted” and even those with green card status? A 75-year old woman living in the United States since 1997? A British athlete originally from Somalia? Families of prominent journalists? University Students with student visas?
Chipping away at people’s rights, such as imposing gag orders over federal agencies, bypassing the normal review process for laws and executive orders, among other things, smell like fascism. There is no protocol. Where did it go?
The executive order was signed on Holocaust Remembrance Day. I saw a picture of a concentration camp that said:
Remember it didn’t start with gas chambers, it started with politicians dividing the people with us vs them. It started with intolerance and hate speech and when people stopped caring, became desensitized and turned a blind eye.
What happened to Never Forget? Did we forget?
A preference to Christian refugees? What?
I am outraged by the executive order. Everyone I know is outraged. The world is outraged. The actions are not American. The travel ban does not reflect the values of a democracy. I want to believe this is all just a bad dream. A nightmare. This is not the USA I know. Please don’t judge me by the actions of my president.
I did not have a present plan to visit Iran or Iraq or any of the other seven countries. But Trump just closed that door. Those countries are predictably reciprocating with bans on entry to their borders by Americans.
The world is reacting. Citizens of the United Kingdom want Trump’s visit to be canceled. The fallout is global. There will be serious backlash – one nation after another will close their doors to us.
Protests at major United States airports have erupted. Thank you to the demonstrators!
Two Federal Judge have issued orders staying deportations under the travel ban for the time being. Thank you to the ACLU and the Judiciary!
I love to travel. Will countries ban my entry because of this? I don’t want restrictions on my travel. In recent years, more and more doors were opening. Visa restrictions were relaxed. We were welcomed. I felt safe.
But, as a result of the travel ban, global backlash is inevitable. Others will boycott the United States. Foreigners may choose not to visit the United States and could very well ban or limit travel by Americans to their countries. There could be increased danger for Americans traveling abroad.
I cannot turn a blind eye to what is going on. I will not become desensitized. We need to continue our efforts to rally against and overturn this executive order which fosters hate and discrimination. It is unconstitutional and will have devastating effects on so many lives if not lifted.
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Great Post!
thanks!
Why the sudden shock, hand ringing, bed wetting and so on? Trump said many times before election day what he would do. Clearly those who voted for him expect him to do what he promised. Further this isn’t a ban, it’s a stop order to ensure that better vetting of immigrants is achieved. Sure, we’re a nation of immigrants but the key word should be legal. With so many groups claiming any law they don’t like is unfair, and therefor should be protested, ignored or disobeyed, maybe we should start looking forward to total anarchy?
thank you for your opinion. I don’t agree with it, but I value your right to speak it.
This is a blog “to provide frequent travelers with the information needed to make the most of their travel” – your words not mine. If I want politics, of whatever stripe or shade, I will sign up for a politics blog. Please take this thread down; it should never have been posted here in the first place. If you had restricted yourself to discussing the effect of the various new International travel bans on genuine frequent travellers, there may have been some justification but I suggest that most frequent travellers can take all of this in their stride. If I had a First Class award on a complicated itinerary which took in one of the nations, not just the USA, which has changed its entry rules, I guess I may welcome advice, but advice on how to rearrange my trip, not how I should look at world politics. I’ll get that from my politics blog thank you..
This is about travel – it’s about an executive order that restricts travel of the people from certain nations to the United States and the effects it can have overall on travel. And, yeah, it includes my feelings on the state of events. If I went outside your defined boundary, I apologize.
Again: This is a blog “to provide frequent travelers with the information needed to make the most of their travel”. How many of those affected by the travel bans imposed by the USA and seven predominantly Muslim nations, yes they have also imposed travel bans, are “frequent travelers”? It is your blog and in that sense you can color it with whatever politics you like, but then don’t pretend it has anything to do with helping frequent travelers with the information needed to make the most of their travel.
Thank you again, Harry. It is an interesting time we live in, when the United States imposes faith-based restrictions on a sweeping basis. This clearly affects travel. Yes, I’ve shared my political beliefs in the post, but also my concerns on whether there will be a global backlash and how it will affect my ability as an American (and perhaps your ability as well) to continue to enjoy international travel without major impediments. I hope you continue to read and interact in this and other posts, but if you choose not to, I’ll understand.
I will continue to read your posts which I find interesting and informative. From what I have read I understand President Trump’s Executive Orders to be nationality not faith based. The USA was not the first to impose these type of restrictions on a sweeping basis. For many many years travellers with an Israeli border control stamp in their [non Israeli] passport have been denied entry to all the States targeted by President Trump. Needless to say Israeli passport holders have also been denied entry. Indeed most if not all [Muslim state] airlines refuse to fly Israeli passport holders. I do not recollect any outcries about these policies. Believe him or not, believe his policy will work or not, President Trump says his policy is to protect the USA from terrorists. Most of the atrocities perpetrated on the civilised world in recent years have been in the name of Allah Akbah, so there is some rationale to President Trump’s thinking. What excuse have the Muslim airlines and their governments put forward for their policies? We have not seen any Israelis proudly slicing off people’s heads while dressed in orange jumpsuits or ploughing 40 ton trucks along seaside boulevards into innocent citizens out for an evening’s enjoyment.
The ban is not a “Muslim” ban. It is an order to stop people from 7 countries that are either sponsors of or supporters of Terrorism. There are many other countries that are primarily Muslim that aren’t banned from entry.
To balance out this post I’d like to see you address the ban that many Muslim based countries put on travelers that have Israeli passport stamps/visas (even if they aren’t Jewish). Now that truly is a ban based on religion.
President Trump maybe could have done a better job implementing this campaign promise but hindsight will always be there. Out of the thousands of passengers there have only been about 100 detained so far.
I respect your opinion on this blog however quoting MSNBC talking heads doesn’t really lend much credibility. That is just the leftist version of Fox News. I would be very careful believing everything you hear or see. For example I’m interesting to see what various news sources have to say or heck even boarding area folks like Muslim Travel Girl on this issue but you can’t just jump at the hype.
Keep up the good work on your blog I enjoy reading it. Thanks
Having read your original post again, let me add a couple more points. Your reference to the orders being signed on Holocaust Remembrance Day with the implications you make is really exceptionally disingenuous. Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us of a time when people were herded onto cattle trucks and sent to concentration camps where they were unceremoniously gassed to death and their remains incinerated. How can you conceivably compare this to a three month travel moratorium. Yes that is all it is, a three month moratorium on certain nationals entering the USA. And by the way if you are an American citizen, President Donald Trump is your President, he is not purporting to be so. He was elected in a democratic process notably missing in the seven countries whose citizens he has temporarily banned from entering the USA. Calm down, stop being outraged. The American people are not outraged, the world is not outraged and the doors of the great nations of the world are not going to be closed to American citizens. Award travel has not been dealt a death blow. Many Arab commentators have spoken up saying they have no problem with this temporary tightening of US entry regulations. The US President’s visit to the United Kingdom will take place as planned; he will be greeted as only the British Royalty know how to do. And now in just under three months his Executive Orders will expire. Crisis over.
my pleasure to provide a forum for your rants.
I can rant but I think these were very considered comments. You ranted but then it is your blog and your privilege.