Whatever our education and life experience, we in the United States of America, need to know a very important piece of our history and destiny. The Statue of Liberty, Liberty Enlightening the World, was designed, made, and given to the U.S. by the French. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Funds to complete the base came from more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar.
The statue and its welcoming inscription have greeted immigrants from around the world for over 130 years. We have not always lived up to these noble words, but we cannot turn our eyes and hearts from her lofty inspiration. None of us whose heritage began on other lands can ignore what these words meant to our ancestors seeking asylum or opportunity. Wherever we came from and whatever our politics, if we claim citizenship in our melting pot of a nation, we must live up to the ideals of our ancestors who found a home on these shores.
Sent February 2, 2017
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