But Why Though? - Part Two

Before anyone thinks that our reasons for leaving are solely due to the toxic systemic racism in this country, let me clarify that there are so many other parts of my identity that also scream for a better way.

• I am a physician who cares for women- has anyone been paying attention to the state of health care and the attacks on women's autonomy over their bodies as well as the hand-tying and criminalization of the physicians who care for women in this country?

  • A country that does not respect its women, also disrespects the people who care for women.

  • Although OBGYNs are surgeons, our specialty is one of the lowest reimbursed surgical specialties in the United States.

• I am a physician whose expertise, knowledge and experience is devalued on a regular basis. I am constantly swimming against the avarice of insurance companies and capitalism.

• I am tired of seeing that not all of my patients have access to quality health care.

  • I am a physician who is tired of cleaning up messes that are made simply because patients weren't empowered with what they needed to prevent the mess in the first place.

• I am a woman.

• I am a Black woman. Enough said

• I am a mother who cares deeply about the quality of education provided in this country. I am disturbed by the whitewashing and omission of truth and facts that has and continues to create an ill-informed un empathetic electorate who lack critical thinking skills.

  • The comfort of the privileged and the need to preserve the image of a powerful and righteous country is prioritized over the struggles and suffering of the marginalized in our schools.

  • Our children are not given the gift of learning to see the world for what it really is.

  • Education is not valued. Not in funding, not in how those who become educators are regarded

  • There is not enough equity in education and many schools use the word as lip service with no true desire to interweave it into the system.

• I know intimately the psychological toll growing up Black in America had on me and I see the trauma of living while Black as an adult. I do not want that for my kids. I want to be able to look my kids in the eye and know that when I tell them that their success is dependent on the grace of God, their hard work and perseverance and how they use their talents, that I am not lying. There is no true meritocracy in this country. Just a series of privilege versus inequity. Succeeding "despite of" instead of "because of" comes with a cost.

• I am an immigrant who struggled and clawed my way to American citizenship. My siblings and I came to this country and succeeded despite years of homesickness. We acquired skills despite hostility and adversity to contribute to this country. I am intimately aware of the important role that immigrants play to the success of this country as well as the hostile attitudes swirling in the ether by politicians and regular citizens alike. My heart breaks to see certain countries labeled as inferior while they possess so many characteristics that this country would benefit from adopting.

  • The definition of "3rd world" and "1st world", as with everything else, is in many ways an arbitrary construct formed by those who see themselves superior.

  • My heart breaks as human rights violations are committed here as the US wags a finger of judgement overseas.

• I am tired of waiting for this country to choose the good of all over the un-regulated rights of the individual.

• I am a US citizen, who is deeply disturbed by the staggering concentration of mediocrity and malice in positions of power

Fleeing the damaging, life-span shortening, quality of life threatening, peace of mind stealing environment caused by systemic racism should really be enough of a reason for anyone to leave the U.S, but for me and my family, there is so much more.