The Statue of Liberty

The New Colossus


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 name
Mother 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!"
 -Emma Lazarus

Have you ever looked at the bottom of the statue of liberty? If you do you will find this poem. This poem says "..give me your tired, your poor,... the homeless, temptest-tost to me..." To me this means that anyone is welcome to come to America. When the statue of liberty was first built I think this is what they wanted it to mean. Now this statement has changed. They are making it very hard for people (immigrants) to come into the United States. We should take a look at what this poem is saying and really think about it. We also need to think about what we are doing and what we were meant to do.