121 Years Old & Still As Beautiful As Ever

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"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 New Colossus"

by Emma Lazarus

1883

It was on 28 October 1886 that the Statue of Liberty (aka Liberty Enlightening the World) was dedicated. Some of my maternal grandparents & greatgrandparents passed through Ellis Island on their arrival from Italia in the early part of the 20th Century. They were welcomed by her upon their arrival. They came over, not for a handout but because America offered hope. They weren't guarenteed success, but they knew that if they worked hard America offered them the chance for a better life. They followed the rules & obeyed all the laws to get here. They didn't come in illegally, but legally. They didn't come merely to take, but to give as well. I grew up with neighbors that were also from Italia as well as Mexico. All here legally & all here for a better life. & they found it. They became a part of this country, learning its ways & language. They kept their culture while also becoming a part of the culture that is the great american melting pot.

The Great American Melting Pot

(Schoolhouse Rock)

Unfortunately, today many people think they don't have to play by the rules. In coming in illegally they insult not only Lady Liberty but mia famiglia & miei amice. They think that there should be unlimited immigration. They come & refuse to become a part of American society. This is contrary to Catholic Social teaching which doesn't require unlimited immigration & requires immigrants to obey all laws, including immigration laws, as well as to become a part of that society, not a seperate group within that country.

2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens. (Catechism of the Catholic Church) (Emphasis mine)

298. Institutions in host countries must keep careful watch to prevent the spread of the temptation to exploit foreign labourers, denying them the same rights enjoyed by nationals, rights that are to be guaranteed to all without discrimination. Regulating immigration according to criteria of equity and balance is one of the indispensable conditions for ensuring that immigrants are integrated into society with the guarantees required by recognition of their human dignity. Immigrants are to be received as persons and helped, together with their families, to become a part of societal life. In this context, the right of reuniting families should be respected and promoted. At the same time, conditions that foster increased work opportunities in people's place of origin are to be promoted as much as possible. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church) (Emphasis mine)

Yes, illegial immigrants have been exploited. That is wrong. But their being here illegally is just as wrong. I am all for welcoming as many immigrants as we can to the United States. But only within the above guidelines. & only those who are willing to obey all the rules from Day 1.

Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation