Reasons you wouldn’t move to US

[Preiu]

Dh has been offered a job in the US. The increase in salary would put us into a completely different wealth bracket but I really don’t want to move.

• fear of home invasion with guns
• school shooting - guns in general I guess
• American exceptionalism attitude annoys me
• Being away from family
• Not having Europe on doorstep

Can I ask if you have any other reasons

SO TRUE

Guns
Trump
Americans 🙈

I genuinely don't get why you and others who have been offended about the US comments care so much. I love the UK and couldn't care less how people have run it down on here. It doesn't affect me, I've made my decision and have no regrets.

Someone has also just posted something quite interesting about the city where my parents live in the US. "Recollections may vary" is my view. But who knows - could be true what she's saying? I enjoy staying there.

I have posted because I thought the original OP was genuine and wanted to try help her think through some things she should consider. An international move is hard wherever you go. This thread could have gone that way, instead it became a slagging match.

@OVienna

"I genuinely don't get why you and others who have been offended about the US comments care so much."

As I said, because many of the comments are untrue offensive stereotypes, and comments like that don't help the OP make an informed decision. And yes, I do care when people think it's ok to state that the reason they don't want to go to the US is because of Americans! Would it be OK to say that I wouldn't want to go to England because of English people or Japan because of the Japanese, for example? Why is it OK to be so rude towards Americans?

Exactly, the knife edge that people of colour ( black , Latino heritage) have to experience at the barrel of a gun.

No thanks

I'd give my eye teeth for a laundry chute. The UK just does not have laundry chutes. I consider this a travesty.

Cup of tea made in a microwave

The cinnamon situation is out of control over there.

I am also non-white and have experienced racism in the US. Tbh I have experienced racism everywhere, but it was more terrifying because I wasn't sure if my abusers had guns, and if the police would help me. So had no option but to meekly remove myself from the situation. Which is what most people do.

I think the comments by those who have never lived or don’t know well people who live in the US are pointless in terms of usefulness. If the OP wants to take completely uninformed option into account then obviously they are free to do so but how anyone can talk about places like Connecticut as if its one massive strip mall is utterly ridiculous. It’s like me conflating a leafy village in West Sussex to a concrete jungle on the edge of London full of unfriendly gits who don’t know their neighbours because it’s all “down south” so it must be.

It varies massively from state to state. I have lots of family in the states and my sister just moved there about a year ago. I’d never live there. Main reasons obviously include the gun laws/school shootings/abortion laws etc. There are so many active shooter situations there that don’t make the news- I can remember my sister wasn’t long there and there was an active shooter in the shopping mall she was in- that wasn’t regarded as newsworthy though even though we were scandalised by it.

She also visited the the major city of the state where she lives a few weeks back- homeless children on the streets alongside mums who were blatantly under the influence. Nobody, including passing police batted an eyelid This was during a big parade type event. She was so upset by it but her friends pointed out that nobody else was reacting- they told her this was because of the risk of being shot by the mums of these kids was so high and police obviously didn’t care anyway.

Posted too soon. I do like how diverse the place place and you can have a lot more control of what’s going on round about you by choosing which state to live in.

We have a larger family than average and I think it would be a lot easier for us in some ways if we lived in the US.

Armed homeless drug addict mothers?

Doesn't that sound just a tiny bit implausible?

Been there a few times on holiday. A lot of American's are nice but a lot treat none Americans like dirt.

If someone said to you give me all your reasons for not moving to mainland Europe, wouldn’t the first question be “Which country?”

This thread has been a bit like ‘tell me all the terrible things about France that would give me a reason not to move to Portugal’

The OP mentioned NY state and Connecticut. And even then you’d have to narrow it down to specific counties to be able to make a decent assessment of the downsides.

People talking about apartments with no washing machines like in ‘Friends’ and crime rates of major cities thousand of miles away aren’t reasons not to move to a nice part of Connecticut.

Also abortion rights are still decided on a state level so you’d just pick a state that matched your feelings on the subject.

In fact in Connecticut the law is very similar to the UK - allowed up to 24 weeks, and then after that if there is a physical or mental health issue.

I love my laundry chute with all my heart. I just wish it also did the laundry and put it all away again too!

Should be good provided you stay healthy. Something like 2/3 of bankruptcies in America are due to medical costs. If they're providing good healthcare including dental for the family that should be good.

Check the holiday entitlement, if he's on a high salary it may be OK.

Switzerland?

I'm aware that many Americans are unhappy with various aspects of life in the US (one thing I hate is that wanting things to be different is seen as unpatriotic by some, "if you don't like it then leave" etc.). I'm also aware of work by organisations to change various things for the better - Strong Towns for example are campaigning to bring back walkability.

But no matter how small a minority the gun nuts might be, just reading one person blather on about "god-given rights" to an AR15 makes me think "I don't want to be within 1,000 miles of this lunatic". I've got no issues with responsible gun owners.

Exactly @CharlotteRumpling , my two sons deserve better than that, you and your children too. Sadly many educated, middle class people of colour still see the US as a destination, not a stepping stone.

(And yes MN, black, Asian and South Americans have middle class, university, Doctorate & professor level people in their communities who have to make such choices in order to thrive not just survive)

You don't think that's implied by the suggestion that it's 'God's own country'? It absolutely was! It might not be stated in the exact same words, but that is absolutely what they meant.

Which part as one state is different from another.

I would go, or maybe let DP go first and join once he has settled. It's an exciting opportunity

'A completely different wealth bracket' 🤮🤮🤮

@Delatron

It may be, but it's a problem contained to the cities of a handful of states.

its not something I fear or consider on a day to day basis,