Out of the mouths of babes

Knucklehead — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:28:13 GMT

I found this paper my daughter wrote for her rather conservative language arts teacher, and I have never been more proud (o.k. maybe when she hit that quarterback in the Sherwood game so hard he puked, but this is right there.) Immigration is one of those topics that Americans often argue about nowadays. A lot of people really aren’t sure whether it’s a positive or a negative thing. There are positive factors and also negative factors immigration brings. I am not against immigration whatsoever. I personally believe that people should be able to roam wherever it is that they please, no matter where they are from. Immigrants should be welcomed into America just as we would be welcomed into another country (Canadians are quite friendly with Americans randomly going into their country by the way), so why is it such a big deal in America? Take the Statue of Liberty for example, and what it means. The statue stands on Liberty Island, New York, in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. A bronze plaque in the interior of the pedestal is inscribed with this: 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!” What this means to me is that the statue of Liberty helps open the doors to America and welcomes everyone throughout the world to share the freedom and what not that our country offers. This welcomes immigrants, not shuns them. Actually, America is almost entirely made up of immigrants if you think about it, those that discovered America even immigrated here. I don’t see why it should be looked at any differently now. Besides, people that come to America probably have good reason to. Some want more rights, some come for the freedom, some come to get away from their old lives, and some merely come for the adventures in store. It doesn’t matter the circumstances, one should understand that immigration isn’t doing America any harm, and hey, it’s a free country, no matter who you are.

There's no way from there to here

Out of the mouths of babes