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Comment by malikNF | Hacker News Reader

This kind of news about racists and bigots running around the country coupled together with the fact that one person at the border can mess up your entire life for not giving away your passwords makes me want to stay away from the U.S for now.

Don't get me wrong, visiting the US has always been a dream for me and almost everyone I know, since it was this place where someone could go to make something of themselves, you know a place where they accepted and rewarded you for the hard work you did. May be we grew up and now realize that dream was just really good marketing. Who knows, I am just sad I have to read stuff like this too frequently these days.

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I can understand your unease with visiting the US, and I certainly don't wish to dismiss your valid concerns, but I think tragic and hateful events like this can also serve to highlight the good in people.

It should be noted that one of the injured was some random white dude who tried to pursue the gunman.

Again, I understand why you feel the way you do and I'm not dismissing those concerns, but there are a lot of wonderful people in the US as well.

Agreed. And to add to our comment his name is

Ian Grillot the hero in this story. There is a go-fund me page that was set up for him by his sisters.

https://www.gofundme.com/a645d-ians-road-to-recovery

Sadly all it takes is a gun in the hands of a non-wonderful person. Not dismissing your comment but as an Indian, I'm seeing the damage just one a can do compared against the wonderful people.

Other than the US, which countries do you feel provide similar opportunities to immigrants? I'm currently 17 years old and it has been my childhood dream to somehow make it to the US, but such news deeply saddens me and insights fear into my mind. It is with deep regret that I have to read such news everyday and realise that it just takes 1 messed up person to destroy your life. Aren't there any other countries where hardwork would pay and dreams could come true, without having a general fear of getting shot?

There's nothing quite like it, but there are alternatives that may be better along different (mostly cultural) axis. If it's your desire to work for a big tech company, they have offices in Europe and elsewhere, it's not quite HQ, but it's an option, particularly given how challenging the visa situation is.

>This kind of news about racists and bigots running around the country coupled together with the fact that one person at the border can mess up your entire life for not giving away your passwords makes me want to stay away from the U.S for now.

Couple that with the fact that you are being fingerprinted and photographed, like you are some kind criminal, just because you want to visit the country and spend money there. That alone is enough for me to never visit the U.S..

"since it was this place where someone could go to make something of themselves, you know a place where they accepted and rewarded you for the hard work you did"

absolutely. im saddened that it feels so risky to visit/work in a country founded on(and to a large part lived up to) such lofty principles.

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