Statue of Liberty

We passed the Statue of Liberty. Long time symbol of the United States and a touch stone for Americans. It is a must to get a picture of your boat with the “Lady” in the background. And, it is a challenge to take that photo as it involves circling around in the main channel as ferries zip by, tour boats circle and barges move up and down river. We were content with just a photo of the “Lady”

This gift from France in the late 1800s was to be installed in New York harbour. America was responsible for financing its installation. When government sources appeared to drag their feet, Joseph Pulitzer started a campaign collecting funds to build a pedestal. One hundred and twenty thousand people gave amounts less than $1 or $30 in today’s dollars. It obviously had meaning to a large number of New Yorkers. Poet Emma Lazarus wrote her famous sonnet The New Colossus in 1883 to help support the campaign. The volta of the sonnet is the most often quoted:

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. It is right next to Ellis Island where many American families first stepped foot on US soil.

How curious to watch the news that night and hear that two neighbouring boroughs have a court injunction stopping New Your City from housing refugees temporarily in their communities. The nimbyism started with Florida and Texas who ship refugees to New York City. Perhaps this is a case of the squeaky wheel getting the oil (or media coverage), but this contradicts the generosity and kindnesses we see everyday.