4 ms·

Canada is tremendously better than the USA if you're young (18 to 30 years old). I had the shittiest life in the USA, was born in Canada but parents moved to U

by sysbin 7y ago

Canada is tremendously better than the USA if you're young (18 to 30 years old). I had the shittiest life in the USA, was born in Canada but parents moved to USA and when I was seven years old; parents were lower-middle class for context. I've only managed to move back to Canada a few years ago and I wish I never would go to the USA ever again if I could live life over. Canada has free healthcare and I'm a transgender person; so that's awesome that people are taken care of medically. In USA I was denied healthcare by doctors based on their religious beliefs. I even suffered conversion therapy and multiple incidents of discrimination that would have easily ended with legal proceedings in my favour if it had occurred in Canada instead of the USA. The legal help for minorities in USA is a joke and they turn away people unless they feel like media will love the story. Other benefits would be university cost in Canada is affordable compared to USA. In Canada tuition loans will not start collecting interest until after you have a degree and working (I believe). Also you can declare bankruptcy if you need to unlike in USA. Food here is way healthier than the USA. Social workers here care in helping people find jobs, get the resources they need and there is legal aid if you're jobless.

lostgame 7y ago
I...I can't believe people are downvoting stuff like this. We're virtually in the same position - I am also transgender, and would have to pay hundreds of dollars for HRT if I was down there, alone. There are unfortunately a lot more biased, seemingly pious individuals here, who are just downvoting these kinds of comments without even providing proper criticism. That's what 'patriotism' gives you. Amurrrica! I've even had folks directly misquote me and put words in my mouth to argue with me. I've never even seen that on HN.
- sysbin 7y ago
  I'm doubtful any of the downvotes are coming from people that have experienced what's offered for being in situations of misfortune in life. I sometimes think I have ptsd from the way everyone in the USA is quick to assume the person suffering is responsible for their own suffering; accusing when they've never experienced anything of the sort by how their life happened to play out. Makes seeking help harder than when I first attempted in the USA. I sometimes wonder if the USA adopted the blame victim psych by assuming that would be a solution of saving human & social resources.
- WkndTriathlete 7y ago
  I can only speculate why people are downvoting, but I suspect it's because sysbin's comment seems to suggest a particular state of mind: - Ignorance of the First Amendment - Extreme sense of entitlement and expectation that others should do as he/she expects regardless of how the other person feels about it Phrasing it as "I was surprised to find that doctors in the US can refuse treatment to transgenders based on their religious beliefs" would probably have led to far fewer downvotes.
  - sysbin 7y ago
    Hypocrisy is what you're preaching right here. People downvoting me for expressing (what "they" consider a first amendment right) by voicing my opinion that Canada has it better for not restricting healthcare based on religious ideology. That's hypocrisy against my USA and Canadian right. People are scum when they use religion as an excuse to allow someone's health to be worse than if religion didn't exist to result in the maltreatment compared to a person with an illness they find tolerable by their beliefs for following treatment protocol accepted in the medical community. I can voice that opinion in Canada or in the USA. Canada has it better for trans people. I'm sure "scum" in USA will not care about that because they're a bunch of narcissists.
tmh79 7y ago
I think you might be missing some parts of the Canadian story that make it seem more idyllic to you based on your situation. I am not disagreeing with anything you are staying about the US BUT Canada is not necessarily some liberal forward thinking Utopia for all, there are a lot of people who fall through (or get crushed by) the cracks, mainly the first nations people. Their story and struggle in Canada is brutal.
- sysbin 7y ago
  My situation isn't happy. I would bet money you've never been denied healthcare because of religious ideology or suffered conversion therapy and from reading your response. I'm visually transgender because of the abuse experienced in the USA. I find out after moving to Canada with a degree, that Starbucks will cover all surgeries a transgender person needs and only for USA employees. That's awesome but after living in the USA, I would still stick it out here in Canada and even if I end up committing suicide in the following months. Sure, the first nations people have had awful experiences and it's comparable to African Americans in the USA. The thing is that the first nations people still can get the resources and benefits here in Canada that I listed; unlike what's in the USA.

by sysbin 7y ago

lostgame 7y ago

I...I can't believe people are downvoting stuff like this. We're virtually in the same position - I am also transgender, and would have to pay hundreds of dollars for HRT if I was down there, alone. There are unfortunately a lot more biased, seemingly pious individuals here, who are just downvoting these kinds of comments without even providing proper criticism. That's what 'patriotism' gives you. Amurrrica! I've even had folks directly misquote me and put words in my mouth to argue with me. I've never even seen that on HN.

sysbin 7y ago
I'm doubtful any of the downvotes are coming from people that have experienced what's offered for being in situations of misfortune in life. I sometimes think I have ptsd from the way everyone in the USA is quick to assume the person suffering is responsible for their own suffering; accusing when they've never experienced anything of the sort by how their life happened to play out. Makes seeking help harder than when I first attempted in the USA. I sometimes wonder if the USA adopted the blame victim psych by assuming that would be a solution of saving human & social resources.
WkndTriathlete 7y ago
I can only speculate why people are downvoting, but I suspect it's because sysbin's comment seems to suggest a particular state of mind: - Ignorance of the First Amendment - Extreme sense of entitlement and expectation that others should do as he/she expects regardless of how the other person feels about it Phrasing it as "I was surprised to find that doctors in the US can refuse treatment to transgenders based on their religious beliefs" would probably have led to far fewer downvotes.
- sysbin 7y ago
  Hypocrisy is what you're preaching right here. People downvoting me for expressing (what "they" consider a first amendment right) by voicing my opinion that Canada has it better for not restricting healthcare based on religious ideology. That's hypocrisy against my USA and Canadian right. People are scum when they use religion as an excuse to allow someone's health to be worse than if religion didn't exist to result in the maltreatment compared to a person with an illness they find tolerable by their beliefs for following treatment protocol accepted in the medical community. I can voice that opinion in Canada or in the USA. Canada has it better for trans people. I'm sure "scum" in USA will not care about that because they're a bunch of narcissists.

tmh79 7y ago

I think you might be missing some parts of the Canadian story that make it seem more idyllic to you based on your situation. I am not disagreeing with anything you are staying about the US BUT Canada is not necessarily some liberal forward thinking Utopia for all, there are a lot of people who fall through (or get crushed by) the cracks, mainly the first nations people. Their story and struggle in Canada is brutal.

sysbin 7y ago
My situation isn't happy. I would bet money you've never been denied healthcare because of religious ideology or suffered conversion therapy and from reading your response. I'm visually transgender because of the abuse experienced in the USA. I find out after moving to Canada with a degree, that Starbucks will cover all surgeries a transgender person needs and only for USA employees. That's awesome but after living in the USA, I would still stick it out here in Canada and even if I end up committing suicide in the following months. Sure, the first nations people have had awful experiences and it's comparable to African Americans in the USA. The thing is that the first nations people still can get the resources and benefits here in Canada that I listed; unlike what's in the USA.