When did we stop believing in Lady Liberty?

As the grandson of three immigrants, I have always been an admirer of Emma Lazarus’ poem, “The New Colossus,” which is displayed on the Statue of Liberty. In these difficult times, it seems appropriate to review a few lines from that poem, which act as words of welcome to those immigrants coming hopefully to the United States:

“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.”

That’s what our country used to think about immigrants, and what a richly diversified country we have become. The poem doesn’t say anything about limiting immigration to to well-educated people from Norway or other advanced countries; nor does it suggest that those braving the trek might risk losing their children in the process.

I hope we’ll all keep those words in mind as we move toward the November election.

The State publishes a cross section of the letters we receive from South Carolinians in order to provide a forum for our community and also to allow our community to get a good look at itself, for good or bad. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not necessarily of The State.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 1:16 PM.