Lady Liberty

I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw this lawn ornament, carved from a fallen tree. It is quite large and is symbolic of our Statue of Liberty National Monument.

A poem by Emma Lazarus is graven on a tablet within the pedestal on which the statue stands in New York Harbor.

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!"

Immigration has changed drastically since the French gave this statue to the United States. Currently both at home and abroad immigration is a hot topic with a divesity of opinions on how immigration should be legislated. I won't ask any of you to state an opinion on your country's policy because, like politics and religion, emotions on the topic are strong.