Rats, Ship, Sinking

There has been an explosion of American citizens taking dual citizenship.

I understand the desire for a metaphorical, "Go Bag," but spending the time and effort on this is not spending the time and effort on stopping Trump and his Evil Minions™.

Tim Hennigan and Peter Atlas are tired of the political divisiveness, unstable international relations, and Teslas parked in front of the White House. Most of all, they are fed up with President Trump. The Charlestown couple is in the final stages of obtaining Irish citizenship and recently moved to their new home in Ireland, where they will wait out the current administration.

“This is not just four years of a president that we don’t happen to like,” Hennigan said. “This is a different regime, and it’s time to leave. For years, I saw progress with race equality, women’s equality, and gay equality. Now, I think maybe we’ve already lived through the pinnacle of equality, at least in this country.”

Atlas, a retired school teacher, and Hennigan, a travel adviser who can work remotely, are concerned about their rights as a gay married couple. Despite recently completing a 20-month renovation of their Boston home, they have decided to uproot.

The couple are among the growing number of Americans seeking dual citizenship through ancestry or golden visa programs. Rules vary by country, but a golden visa allows individuals to qualify for residency or citizenship in exchange for an investment in real estate. They obtained ancestry through Hennigan’s Irish roots. Google searches in the United States for dual citizenship hit a five-year high the week of the November presidential election and grew again the week of the inauguration. However, the number of those taking the next step has been more telling than quick Google searches.

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Hennigan and Atlas began looking into Irish citizenship during the first Trump administration. Rich Welch, a biotech executive in Somerville, started working on his Italian citizenship three years ago with plans to retire to Europe when he’s ready. His college-age sons will also become Italian citizens, allowing them to study and work in Europe. For Welch, dual citizenship wasn’t about escaping political turmoil, but he said he’s thankful he has a Plan B.

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Not everyone is on board with fleeing the United States until Trump is out of office. Even TV host Bill Maher, a moderate Democrat, has been critical of the movement, saying, “We don’t need quitters. We need people to stay and fix it.

F%$# me, I agree with Bill f%$#ing Maher.

We are living in a dystopian young adult novel.