I’m moving because of Trump. Does that make me selfish?

I can’t disagree with that. He’s right.

I am removing my family from an unfriendly government. But I want to remind him and everyone else that my first obligation is to my family.

I wish we had the energy to stay and fight. I really do. But we are exhausted. Too exhausted to cringe at every news alert for another four years, fearing what hot-headed outburst or tweet storm will follow.

The array of billionaire cronies and family members who staff Trump’s administration is already stimulating my mental muscle memory. The instinct to protect myself and my family from the storm feels almost primal.

And it’s not just Trump; It is also the corrosive ripple effects already coursing through society. Have you noticed how close to the edge people seem to be? One wrong word away from losing all restraint?

If we’re so exhausted now, what happens when the evening news increases its blame game? Immigrants are accused of stealing jobs. Minorities are blamed for crimes. It’s a powder keg waiting for a match.

I want to live in a place where people start with a smile. Where it’s natural to help someone at the grocery checkout. Where no one calls city hall to report a kid’s lemonade stand for not having a permit.

I don’t know if I’ll find that in Northern Ireland.

To be honest, they still talk about US politics there. Because when one of the world’s superpowers – the one the UK relies on most – shows cracks, people have questions. It usually starts with “What the hell is going on over there?” and that’s usually followed by “We’re so sorry.”

The difference is that you can have this conversation without fear of causing someone great distrust of the other side. And if things get too heated, a quick look at a current football game usually helps.

Maybe I see my experiences there in rose-colored memories. Undoubtedly, I will feel the pain of what is happening in the United States. It has been my home for 62 years and many of my family members will remain so.

But this is the life I want for my family. If that makes me selfish, then so be it. At least I didn’t sell my principles on the price of a carton of eggs.

Todd Copilevitz, a marketing consultant, is a former reporter and columnist for the Dallas Morning News.