Brits In Denver React With Surprise To Brexit Vote
DENVER (CBS4) - At the House of Commons, a British tea room in Denver, it's business as usual for the owner, Jessica Avery.
But back in her native Britain, the "Brexit" vote impacted her family.
Her "mum," or mother, voted in favor of Britain leaving the European Union, based on fears immigrants will chew up resources.
"A city like London is large and has a varied population, but out in the other smaller towns … resources are stretched very thin," Avery said.
However, her brother voted to stay for financial reasons.
"He's a businessman, has an international travel company that travels into Europe, so he was concerned about tariffs and fees changing."
Jennifer Dunbar-Dorn, of Denver, has dual citizenship but could not vote because she lives here.
"The vote should never have been put to the people. It was a foolish, irresponsible thing," she said.
Dunbar-Dorn told CBS4 she's strongly against her birth country leaving the EU, and predicts Great Britain won't remain so great, in size.
"Scotland and Northern Ireland are going to want to leave the U.K. Because they want to be a part of Europe," she said.
Dunbar-Dorn sees the vote to leave as the result of nationalism gone crazy.
"This nationalism, splitting off into smaller (nations) and (going) backwards (before the) world wars, it's frightening," she said.
Avery also thinks her native country made a mistake.
"I was very surprised. I always think it's easier to stay in a situation you're in than leave it."
Howard Nathan is a veteran newsman. Decades later, he still enjoys writing a clever sentence, asking the tough question and talking to people in Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Howard and read his bio.
