Our "Lady Liberty"
By Mona Lease

Hi, all!! I've been thinking lately - with all of the bad hype about the current president, the senators, and such - Why are people still coming here (the USA) to live? Why do they risk crossing the Mexican Border to get here? And that got me to thinking of the Statue of Liberty. So - with Wikipedia's help (God bless that public funded site!), I found -

The Statue of Liberty is really "Liberty Enlightening the World." The French gave her to us in 1886. The reason behind the gift was twofold - She signifies the Union's winning the Revolutionary War (1783), which is why she stands in the New York Harbor. The second reason is the abolition of slavery (1865); the 13th Amendment to our Constitution. The seven spikes in her crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents. This is to indicate a universal concept of freedom. This last October she turned 127 years old. The cost to build her today would be 10 million dollars. Eduard Labourlay proposed Miss Liberty as a gift to the Union. Here's where it gets interesting - to me. Frederic Bartoldi sculpted the Statue of Liberty - which bears his Mother's face. She stands among a broken shackle and chains with her right foot raised to depict her walking away from oppression and slavery and forward to a "free life" - free to choose a career, a mate (or no mate), a religion, a home, etc.

Her plaque reads - "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..The retched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these - the homeless, tempest tost to me. I lift up my lamp beside the golden door." - Emma Lazarus.

It is estimated that some 600 bolts of lightening strike her every year - and still she stands. For a while she functioned as a lighthouse - she could be seen 25 miles out to sea. During WWI (1916), German saboteurs set off explosives near her - and still she stands. As I understand it - her arm that holds the torch was damaged. Therefore, it was closed from viewing. You may still look out her windows (25 of them) that are placed in her crown.

Most interesting to me is that her face is modeled after a woman's (a Mother, no less!) and a woman penned the inscription...Emma Lazarus.

In 1886 the US (union of 13 colonies) was fair game in that you could come here and live by what you thought was right (religion, job/trade, etc). You did have to work. There was no government to hand out checks until you "got on your feet." Most came here having relatives or friends already here. They would have a job for you. Any way it went - you would have to work - there were no fast food restaurants. Along with this, there were "unwritten rules" - steal from someone and you would get shot. (There was no time to play games). Get caught cheating and you might wish you had gotten shot - you had two families mad.....just starting out in a new land; a reputation was everything.

From the inscription - "the retched refuse of your teeming shore" captures my attention. Teeming means "to be full of" or "swimming with." The retched refuse is most probably those who did not have a job. - too many people with not enough housing.

Given the above - have we really gotten anywhere since the gift? Aren't we "teeming with trouble" now? What would happen if we held each other accountable now - like we did in 1886?

Remember the kiddies and out service people. Take good care of the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next time. Ever Toodles!!! MONA