Friday; October 28

On this date in 1886 the Statue of Liberty was dedicated to by President Grover Cleveland. The statue itself was a gift from France, but a pedestal had to be funded before it could be raised in New York Harbor. A part of that fundraising effort was a poem written by Ezra Lazarus entitled, “The New Colossus”. The poem began by contrasting a giant statue from the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes, with this new structure. The ancient sculpture was regarded as a symbol of conquest, but this new piece of art would be viewed as the “Mother of Exiles” and represented the hope for a new life. The poem concluded with the invitation, “’Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she with silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, temptest-tost to me, I will life my lamp beside the golden door!’”. In essence, Lazarus anticipated that this new statue would welcome people to a new hope rather than the mere continuation of the traditions of the old ways.

While millions of people have seen the statue of liberty as a sign of hope, modern America is trying to define our stance on immigration and the influence of the outside world. I realize the debate is as controversial as it is personal, but one thing I want us to remember is that those we are talking about are human beings. Again, I am not advocating one side of the discussion or the another, but let’s remember we aren’t merely talking about statistics or numbers, we are impacting the lives of people. When we realize the humanity of the issues, maybe we can tone down the rhetoric and have discussions fueled with love and concern for our fellow man.

Think About It!

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