As the mother of a 22-year-old son, currently in his third undergraduate year at the University of Maine, I never imagined I’d be planning an international escape route for his safety. But here I am – an American mom who voted for Kamala, watching my home country spiral into a nightmare of exclusion, extremism, and targeted cruelty, so yes, I am desperate to get my son out before it’s too late.
Sure, I would get my entire family out if I could, but that’s not possible, so I have to focus on the one who is most vulnerable in the family: Reese.
My son
My son, Reese, is studying Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Maine. He’s bright, passionate, and determined to contribute to a better world – if only he’s given the chance. He’s already made it through so many hurdles: growing up autistic in a world that misunderstood him, struggling to get through math classes, and even repeating one that was too difficult, while never giving up on his goal.
But today’s America is not a safe place for someone like him, a future scientist who happens to be trans, autistic, and gay.
Under the shadow of Project 2025, the Trump administration is openly working to dismantle DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs and strip away LGBTQ+ rights. These aren’t abstract policy shifts – they’re torches lit under the feet of people like my son. Every executive order feels like a direct attack: banning trans healthcare, defunding protections, and now militarizing our police as a soft launch for their bigger plan – martial law.
The message is clear – our government has no interest in protecting families like mine – in fact it’s the opposite – they’re preying on families like ours. Then there’s RFK Jr, with his pseudo-scientific crusade against autism. He wants a national autism registry. He talks about autistic people like they’re broken, burdensome, and incapable of thriving. He says they can’t hold jobs, fall in love, or pay taxes.
If RFK Jr only knew how hard my son works and contributes to our community. Last year, Reese juggled a grueling schedule – working 30 hours a week as a night janitor at an elementary school while attending college full-time during the day. Yet through the fatigue and long hours, one thing never wavered: his deep passion for the ocean and the environment.
Whether watching documentaries, diving into books in his few spare moments, or volunteering for an environmental health research nonprofit here on the coast to teach a class on needle felting seals to raise money, Reese’s passion with marine life and environmental science is more than a personal interest – it’s a driving force.
It’s that commitment, that relentless curiosity, that has the potential to one day make a real impact in the world, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable planet.
RFK Jr is seriously missing out on not knowing the love of an autistic person, and the brilliance they bring into the world. Reese’s differences and quirks make him interesting, not defective. But this is the America my son is growing up in – a country that questions his gender when it’s none of their business, politicizes his uniqueness, and cancels his future.
Looking to the UK
So I’ve turned to the UK, where Reese’s boyfriend of three years lives. I’ve helped Reese apply to several schools as I search for ways to pay. I dream of watching him board a plane with nothing but his books, kitty, and a fleece jacket, headed to finish his study of ocean life and finally breathe in safety, even though it means he will be thousands of miles away from me.
My heart soars each time an acceptance letter comes through. The University of Manchester, and Cumbria accepted him, and we’re still waiting to hear back from SAMS and the University of Chester.
But then, with each acceptance, my heart drops.
I am not wealthy or influential. If I were, we would ‘all’ be leaving the country. I am an unknown writer among millions of other writers who are barely breaking even. And when I see $20,000 a year, $16,000 here, or $18,500 there on the price tag of these schools, I get physically ill. International tuition and living expenses are costs that I cannot touch – not on our unpredictable income, with two kids in college.
My daughter made the sacrifice to leave her expensive art school in Massachusetts to attend a free community college here in Maine this last semester to help with the family finances. Last year, federal student loans weren’t an option, and we had to pay $25,000 out of pocket for both kids to attend their schools.
We live comfortably, yes, but we don’t have a savings account anymore. We are tapped out. Our current income this year has been a huge disappointment, making it hard to save. All of our extra money has gone to paying down debt, university expenses for our two kids, or repairs on the house.
Each school acceptance is both a lifeline and disappointment – hope dangled, then left unclaimed. Student loans are quickly becoming a thing of the past as banks realize Americans are going broke. For the non-wealthy, opportunities are fading here in the US.
With every outrageous executive order signed, every hateful soundbite broadcast, the clock ticks louder. We don’t have the luxury of waiting to see how the next election turns out – if we have one. We are watching the America we love morph into something dangerous and unrecognizable – and I won’t, can’t let it swallow my son without a fight.
So I willingly and humbly expose my financial distress to the world, and say, from one mother to another, from one human to another, please, don’t let them silence my budding scientists. Someone, help him, please.
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