In any talk of immigration nowadays — legal or illegal — someone always brings up the Statue of Liberty and how it says that all people are welcome.
The odd thing about the Statue of Liberty, is that despite it being an iconic symbol of the United States, it was never commissioned by the USA. In fact, it was a gift by the French government. Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor, originally viewed the project as a colossal statue to stand at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal. It was supposed to have been entitled, “Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia.” When the Egyptians turned it down as being too expensive, France commissioned the revamped statue as a gift to the USA. It basically had nothing to do with this country; it was merely a French artist with a vision who needed a place to stash that vision.
As for the inscription of the statue: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” etc. It was written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 for an art and literary auction to help fund the building of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal.
The poem was never, and was never intended to be, an official declaration of the United States’ immigration policy, though people think it is. In fact, the immigration policy grew into one of exclusion. Or inclusion, depending on how you look at it. What the policy included were people who could pay their own way once they got here and/or who had people to sponsor them— immigrants were never supposed to be burden on the taxpayer. They were, instead, supposed to add to the country’s coffers. And they were chosen because of their ability to eventually assimilate into the country and become loyal and patriotic citizens.
The more the far leftists made their agendas known over the years, and the more they dictate policy (if not government policy, then for sure the policies that their adherents advocate), the weaker the immigration laws became until under a certain president, there were in fact no laws. And the more they justify it by . . . actually, I’m not sure how they justify it, but as I said, part of the popular vision of our immigration policy is based on that not-so-American statue.
I have no idea where this immigration turmoil is going to end up, but I keep hoping that I will never have to see the culmination of the stated far-left policy of open borders, either because I will be gone, or because it won’t affect me way out here in the open high prairie. I used to shake my head in wonder at the local farmers and ranchers who sold their water rights so the front range cities could grow, but now it’s a nice thought — without water, there’s really no room for a lot of growth.
Ah, liberty!
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One
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