DA China is taking a moment to highlight members of our community and board.
Interview of Eileen Walsh, Member-at-Large, by Alexander Lee
Eileen Walsh was born and brought up in Ohio, where she is registered to vote. She is now a LEAP (Learning English for Academic Proficiency) teacher at Daystar Academy in the Sanlitun area of Beijing. She helps her students develop their abilities in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing in English, in the context of what they are studying in their classrooms.
Ada Shen (currently the National Chair of DA France) helped Eileen get involved with the Democrats Abroad organization.
Her top issues of importance are racial equality and gun control.
She says, “I have no idea what it means to be discriminated against for any reason, and I dislike the idea that there are people who have to always be on their guard. I feel it is my responsibility as a white person to fight for a time when no one has to allow for the possibility that they will be discriminated against, for any reason.”
Regarding gun control, she believes there is no reason for any private citizens to own AK-47s. The Second Amendment refers to a militia, not private citizens, and she feels that the Supreme Court’s activist interpretation of that amendment endangers lives.
I asked her what she would do if she was President for a day and she responded, “Bring to a screeching halt the way migrants are treated. No more detention, no more separating children from their families and no more concentration camps, which is exactly what those facilities are.”
She believes that the challenge Democrats face in 2020 in general is educating people. She is perplexed and baffled by the anti-vaxers, but also by people who justify poor treatment of immigrants. “Whether it’s Donald Trump or someone else, we need to ask questions and find the information we need to make informed decisions instead of accepting what someone else tells us. It is our responsibility, and we need to stop giving that responsibility to other people.”
Eileen is frustrated by a coterie of Americans who are not tolerant of differing opinions.
“I defend the rights of those who disagree with me, as well as the rights of those with whom I have more in common. Those of us who espouse an inclusive view of what it means to be an American and want a society where differences are celebrated and everyone is encouraged to be an active member of society have the responsibility to work toward making that the reality. We need to make our voices heard as we work to create an American society where everyone is welcome.”