The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in the 1800’s, celebrating their friendship and the anniversary of U.S. independence. The green-hued gift from France no longer lives up to the values inscribed on the statue’s base: “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!”
This powerful poem on the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of welcome and refuge for immigrants arriving in America while they pass the Statue of Liberty on their way to Ellis Island. My two sets of grandparents passed the Statue of Liberty on their way to Ellis Island, and I’m very proud of their journey to America. They contributed to the character of this great country as did their children and their children’s children. My maternal grandfather loved this country with all his heart and soul, and he would tell me stories of how he loved this country and how great it was.
When anything happened in a positive way in America he would always say, “Only in America.”
My grandparents are probably turning over in their graves now in the way that this country is being run now. A tablet on the Statue of Liberty’s left hand is inscribed with the date of the United States Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, while broken shackles and chains at her feet represent liberty breaking the chains of bondage, or slavery in the United States. The Statue of Liberty has an official name, which is ” Liberty Enlightening the World,” and her torch represents liberty. The Statue of Liberty represents a Roman Goddess, and her crown spikes represent the oceans and continents.
The Statue of Liberty is struck by lightning 600 times every year. The statue’s face is modeled after the artist’s mother. Around 3.8 million people visit the statue each year. The Lady is mostly made of cooper, but over the years she turned green being exposed to water and air. The statue can sway in the wind up to 3 inches in any direction during heavy winds, and her torch can sway up to 5 inches with heavy winds.
May this magnificent lady uphold her slogans and bring glory back to America. May she stand forever representing all that she stands for, which is positive. America needs the Statue of Liberty’s morals, principles of right and wrong, more than ever in these turbulent days.
Lois Eisenberg
Valencia
