Are Florida/Alabama safe?

[FairyLights56]

Dd is in her first year studying politics at uni. The Labour society are organising a trip over the summer for a group of students to go to Florida or Alabama to campaign for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections. She'll be there for 5 weeks.

She's signed up to go, and is paying for it with her own money, so I obviously can't stop her.

I'm just really worried about her safety - is it safe to go around canvassing for democratic candidates in rural Florida or Alabama?

She's only been to New York/San Francisco before, so I've been trying to explain to her that not all of America is like that.

Am I unreasonable to be worried?

No where is ever safe but rural Florida is much safer than New York City and San Francisco. It's one of the safest places I've ever lived, I've lived in some rough places but also some very safe places. It's one of those places that you can get away with not locking your house/car.

Lol, we live in Texas and my 13 year old is spending next week working in an immigrant center outside of Tampa for a week - it's a school trip.

Civilization has reached most of the USA now you know, we even have internet now.... Most people now shout "get off my property" before shooting too...

I live in Florida and am a lifelong Democrat. I think working in the background is fine, but I think she might find some inhospitable responses, even among some Democrats, if she is going door-to-door soliciting votes.

I think her efforts would be better spent in Florida. We, at least, are a swing state so Democrats do have a better chance overall of getting elected, Doug Jones notwithstanding.

However, since those parts of the world insist on sending missionaries to Africa, they deserve it.

It is sort of funny when you think about it. British left-wing political missionaries coming to the American South. But, then again, we need all the help we can get.

Many Republicans are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I rarely see an accurate depiction of Middle America or the Deep South. The stereotypes in the media are geared for political purposes. I am not sure that any Republican or Democrat will be swayed by anyone over social views right now; America is suffering from a decade of low wages and job loss. It's difficult to imagine a conversation changing a person's political viewpoint.

My daughter spent a week in Florida with friends and returned safely. There are dangerous areas, those are obvious.

Do not go near water in the evening or at night.

Many Republicans are fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

This is especially true for Florida, probably less so for Alabama.

I spent a while in Alabama and it was the scariest experience of my life!
Also, it is very difficult to communicate with locals as their accent is so strong. I know that sounds ridiculous but it was certainly the case for me. I will never ever go back there! Never

Also, it is very difficult to communicate with locals as their accent is so strong.

To be fair, that can also be said for some of the accents in the UK.

I spent a while in Alabama and it was the scariest experience of my life!

It sounds like a fascinating story. What were you doing there?

It's Florida and Alabama not Somalia. She'll be fine, the only thing she'll have to learn is how to keep a straight face whilst listening to the most ignorant crap imaginable come from the mouths of incredibly friendly people.

If an earnest American undergrad knocked on my door telling me how to vote you can be damned sure I'd vote the opposite way.

The guardian had a campaign one year - write to swing states, telling voters to vote democrat. It apparently affected the vote - a lot of undecided went for the republican option.

I'm sure your DD will be safe - it just seems horrendously misguided, not to say rather condescending.

My friend lives in alabama and from what shes told me i wouldn't be rushing there. She says the racism is horrendous. That alone would stop me from going.

@Matildatolsuchdreadfullies

Dd is now telling me that they probably won't be doing loads of door to door canvassing. It'll probably be more leafleting, administrative work in the campaign HQ instead.

I suppose these campaigns need all the help they can get, even if it is from 18 year olds who live 4000 miles away.

Its work. Specialist insurance needed. Sorry to repeat myself, but read up on Stephanie inglis to see what can happen if this is ignored.

Thank you @specialsubject

I'll definitely make sure she has work travel insurance

My friend lives in alabama and from what shes told me i wouldn't be rushing there. She says the racism is horrendous. That alone would stop me from going.

Racism is everywhere, you must not go many places.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies I remember that Guardian Campaign, it was embarrassingly misguided, lots of letters saying I love Seinfeld and SNL and Bush is a moron, you shouldn't vote for him.

It'll probably be more leafleting, administrative work in the campaign HQ instead.

She'll be fine. For the most part Southerners are very nice and welcoming people. Just misguided.

Given that you’ve said the group is diverse, they will need to be prepared for the fact that they will likely see a lot of propaganda from various “alt-right” (read: white supremacist) groups in certain towns in rural Alabama, and that they’ll likely be the most diverse group of people for a good hundred miles or so.

I would not pick Alabama for this sort of thing. The big cities in Florida will be fine, as indeed will most of the smaller towns. But I’d give Alabama a wide berth.

Crazy racism is indeed everywhere, but there’s a vast difference between a handful of people who mostly keep their thoughts to themselves, and the rabid American “ministries” or “kingdoms” (as they do often call themselves) who scream their presence on roadside billboards and in newspapers.

but there’s a vast difference between a handful of people who mostly keep their thoughts to themselves, and the rabid American “ministries” or “kingdoms” (as they do often call themselves) who scream their presence on roadside billboards and in newspapers.

Sure. But it's not like that type of behavior is confined to the US. There are alt-right groups throughout Europe and the UK, and her daughter would have as much of a chance of crossing paths with members of those groups as she does in Alabama. Racism is also hugely prevalent and in your face across Asia and Africa. It's everywhere. Anyone who thinks it isn't is fooling themselves. People don't keep their views to themselves anymore.

It's actually illegal for her to do this. It's illegal for foreigners to make financial or 'in-kind' donations to US election campaigns. This would count as an 'in kind' donation.

They might regularly have regularly got away with it under the Democrats, but considering that there is now a Republican government it's quite likely if they discovered this was why she was entering the country she would be refused entry, deported and banned from returning.

Given it's likely to be a tightly run election she would be taking a big risk. There was a lot of aggro in the recent Alabama election about out of state activists getting involved. I suspect a group of foreigners canvassing for the Democrats in traditionally Republican areas which are now swing seats would be reported and deported PDQ.

If she needs travel insurance that's suitable for work, then she may also need a visa. You're not allowed to work on the VWP program (where you just fill out an ESTA form prior to travel), and 'work' can include unpaid work for which people are usually paid, so with some voluntary projects it's a bit of a fine line. Your DD should talk with the group who are organising this and check they've got a good grasp of this. I know people who've done a similar thing, and they were fine, but it does have to be carefully arranged to meet the criteria. If she gets turned back at the arrival airport, it's her US travel record which will be permanently affected.

Does she drive? She will be heavily reliant on the group's help to get around if not. In a cynical mood I would say the worse case scenario with this sort of trip is that young, idealistic overseas volunteers get lumbered with the kind of areas US volunteers don't want to canvas: when I lived in the States there were definitely areas of my city where I wouldn't go, and I found some of the segregation and poverty on a completely different scale to what you'd see in London.

Also, yes: people are complimentary about the accent, but it's actually very grating to hear a foreigner explain what's wrong with your country and who you should be voting for, so I would expect some hostility.

On the other hand, best case scenario is that it's a fun experience and she meets a lot of new people and learns about the political system out there. I don't think foreign volunteers are realistically going to achieve much, but it would be very interesting to volunteer in a campaign HQ, especially in a swing state.

I’m not sure you realise just how public and sometimes widely accepted these groups are in some towns in Alabama. I can assure you it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen in the UK or anywhere in Europe.

I love the USA, I’ve got extensive family over there, I’ve spent a lot of my life there, and it’s truly a beautiful country. But there are places where I would not dare to send teenagers to promote democratic politics, especially not if they’re non-white!

I still say Florida’s OK though.

Sorry, got it slightly wrong above. She can volunteer and canvas as long as she receives absolutely no compensation from anybody to do so. So she will need to pay for all her own tickets, accommodation, insurance etc. If she accepts one iota of assistance in money or in kind then it is illegal.