Yeah, it's not a mandate for bigotry when you vote leave. Some unsavoury motives might be there but, frankly, a bigot's not going to follow through on them
Bigots won't follow through? People should tell that to Jo Cox.
Farage laughed today, saying Leave won "without a bullet being fired", while a Remain advocate's blood is barely dry.
I know some may not like that many people may have emotions around this disaster, but all of this, all that these people have done, has a real impact on real people's lives. Millions of lives have been derailed by this reckless mistake. Young people's future plans as Europeans. People's jobs across Europe. People's access to quality healthcare and education is threatened. Immigrants have to live in greater fear of reprisal and being kicked out to assuage ever-growing xenophobic fears. LGBT people are now left in limbo on whether EU equality measures will still apply in England. A friend of mine was alerted that she might lose her job and may have to move to another country just to have her marriage still recognized. And my Muslim friends are now unsure if they'll welcome in Britain anymore as the country now shifts even further rightward.
It is not a weakness to actually care about what is going or the impact it has on people's lives. It is possible to discuss issues that exist with the European Union, a certainly imperfect union, while still acknowledging the great damage this action has done to Britain's economy and especially young people's futures as British people in Europe.
You can understand how war and unaddressed problems have left many desperate for change but disagree with this horrendous action that is likely to tear the United Kingdom and the European Union apart while simply adding new problems to the old ones. The European Union has existed for a reason; the United Kingdom has been a part of it for over 40 years for a reason. The witless and cowardly David Cameron played chicken with people's futures and let the union fall. That is a disaster that will hurt countless people now and in years to come.
Conservatives in Britain have already said today that most of their promises about what would happen after a Leave vote aren't actually going to happen. The NHS will not get millions of pounds; it will likely face new cuts instead. For now, immigration will likely not be formally cut down outside of citizens' own efforts to make immigrants and refugees feel unwelcome. Britain will almost certainly have a worse economic relationship with Europe moving forward, costing everyday people money and grief for no real gain but the warm glow of having shot your foot to spite a stubbed toe. Scotland will now have more reason than ever to pursue their independence and leave England to its rightward descent. Northern Ireland may even follow shortly after. And the United Kingdom Leave voters tried to "take back" won't even exist anymore.
Actions like this have consequences, as we've already seen bits of on Friday, and this will impact the rest of our lives. That fact matters, and if you can't understand emotion around such a disaster, that's a shame. People will be living with the fallout of this for years to come, and it's essential that we face that fact now so we may possibly mitigate the long term damage and, if we're fortunate, even make some good out of a terrible situation.
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