America - The New Colossus - I hope!

I have put this in "Other Current Events" though I am not going to include the "current events" because the point will be made in retrospect.

There was a time when America was the envy of the world. I love my Country and I yearn for days that we are that again! Times have changed and I believe they are systematically changing.

We were once the Beacon for the end of tyranny and oppression. I know The United States has had some very dark moments, and we are once again in one of those, so I will include some of the errors in this thread but overall, we ALL seek Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness!

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!"

Many of our ancestors saw this:



Before we became this:





We all know what happened there, so don't!

In our years we have made mistakes!





But who does not make mistakes? For if we do not make mistakes, first, that would not be human, second, we could not learn from them. I'm not sure what is to be learned from "Current Events" yet. Only time will tell!

We have had our "glory days":



And we have taken plunges:



But you know what? We can, as peoples of The World, Peoples of ALL Lands, as a people UNITED. We can seek a beacon of hope once again!

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!

And if anyone tells you otherwise, let em have a good ole taste of American Know How!





Good Day!

I really appreciated the way that you used Elvis and Johnny. I know that it isn't popular to say so and maybe it is hard to see it this way but I think that this is a wonderful time to be an American. I hope that everyone is excited and getting ready, like I am, this is going to be awesome.

reply to post by timewalker


America will continue it's downward spiral unless someone or something can unify the populace. Here on ATS the pro revolution segment is quite vocal as are the pro secessionists. America is split along ideological and cultural lines and I just don't see anything changing.

Want peace? Work for justice....

Nice pictures...

Originally posted by timewalker
There was a time when America was the envy of the world.

I think that's part of the problem, it never really was "the envy of the world".

It was seen as a land of freedom and opportunity, where anyone could try to get a better life, a land where, when you were successful, you could have a great life, with all things money can buy.

But it was presented as being "the envy of the world" and the best in everything that was good, but that was only propaganda. Unfortunately, most US citizens fell for it and now long for something that never really existed.

reply to post by ArMaP

it never really was "the envy of the world".

That was not my experience while travelling abroad for a couple of years. Granted, the Brits are seldom impressed, but we are (were?) rock stars everywhere else.

I am sorry for folks that weren't alive during this time. The warmth and enthusiasm from folks from other countries was actually a little overwhelming at times.

Although I am aware that historically America's role in 'saving the world' has been overblown, how much people love us, has not.

I always like to use France as an example because how much they hate us is almost directly proportional to how much they love us.

Anyway, confusing times, granted, but to say that we are not the envy of the world or have been is short sighted. Especially if all those Islamists that are assaulting us are supposed to be doing it because they are jealous.

And that is where the extra vehemence-sauce comes from, now that folks from other countries feel it is ok to verbally boot us while we are retooling; Sour. Grapes.

And when this turns around the whole world will still be listening to our music, eating our food, and having a coke and a smile.

Originally posted by Xoanon
That was not my experience while travelling abroad for a couple of years. Granted, the Brits are seldom impressed, but we are (were?) rock stars everywhere else.

But it has been my experience, all my life, both from people from my country or from other countries.

I am sorry for folks that weren't alive during this time.

What time was that?

The warmth and enthusiasm from folks from other countries was actually a little overwhelming at times.

That's not envy.

Although I am aware that historically America's role in 'saving the world' has been overblown, how much people love us, has not.

That's not envy.

I always like to use France as an example because how much they hate us is almost directly proportional to how much they love us.

I would love to understand why the US has this complex with France...

Anyway, confusing times, granted, but to say that we are not the envy of the world or have been is short sighted.

That's how I see it from here.

Especially if all those Islamists that are assaulting us are supposed to be doing it because they are jealous.

If.

And that is where the extra vehemence-sauce comes from, now that folks from other countries feel it is ok to verbally boot us while we are retooling; Sour. Grapes.

It was always OK.

And when this turns around the whole world will still be listening to our music, eating our food, and having a coke and a smile.

I don't like most of the music that comes from the US, I think the UK music scene is much better (and always was), I don't eat US food but I like Pepsi.

One thing I have noticed (mostly since I became a member of ATS) is that to Americans it looks like things are always black and white, they always think that they are loved or hated, that people are their friends or their enemies, that people are for them or against them, but things are rarely like that.

reply to post by ArMaP

I don't like most of the music that comes from the US, I think the UK music scene is much better (and always was), I don't eat US food but I like Pepsi.

One thing I have noticed (mostly since I became a member of ATS) is that to Americans it looks like things are always black and white, they always think that they are loved or hated, that people are their friends or their enemies, that people are for them or against them, but things are rarely like that.

ArMaP,

You are awesome, and really funny. As much as I would like to create the perfect patriotic post to try to counter yours, I cannot.

Simple as that. Plus, yours has heart where mine only has, uh, chutzpah, so yours trumps mine.

Also, I love Brit rock too, best of all, not only that, but I am aware that Música en Espanol, rates all over our sales figures, so I'm not even going to try. In fact, I just want to rock some cumbias.

Yer right about the black and white thing, but how else am I supposed to construct a ra ra post and not remain in black and white?

Anyway, despite the fact that I am slightly appalled by your choice of soft drink, your post brought me down to earth.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. have a good one.



P.S. The France thing has cracked me up so hard my whole life that I have decided to keep it. It's just funny ArMaP. Do you do Monty Python?

I guess a blanket response is in order.

First, divided we fall. That is correct and it's sad that the only time it seems we are unified is when something terrible happens. The division and in country bickering between us is at new heights.

Second, true I have not travelled abroad so I guess I can only guess, but I have lived in two international cities. New Orleans and New York City, well worked in New York, lived in Newark, NJ because I could not afford the Manhattan rent. ArMaP perhaps you have heard of the Ironbound District in Newark...a.k.a. Little Portugal. I don't know what you would call "US food", but we got some damn good Portuguese restaurants. In fact it is my favorite "U.S." food, because we are everyone from everywhere.

Perhaps envy was not the correct term, because if you look it up it does have a negative connotation, maybe benign envy would be more in order. The US was huge motivational force to cause millions from oppressive countries to take the chance. ArMaP you are right that everyone has the chance to come here and have a chance. Better to be broke and free than broke and oppressed!

The trend continues..

Persons Obtaining Legal Permanent Resident Status Fiscal Years

Year
1950 249,187
1967 361,972
1977 462,315
1987 601,516
1997 797,847
2007 1,052,415
2008 1,107,126
2009 1,130,818
2010 1,042,625

Wiki

Must be something that keeps the huddled masses coming here!

Btw... Aphex Twin is one of my all time favorite artist. Right up there with The Man in Black. I'm pretty broad when it comes to music.

Originally posted by Xoanon
Anyway, despite the fact that I am slightly appalled by your choice of soft drink, your post brought me down to earth.

Well, that shows that we all have our little peculiarities.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. have a good one.

Thanks.

PS: I love Monty Python.

Originally posted by timewalker
ArMaP perhaps you have heard of the Ironbound District in Newark...a.k.a. Little Portugal. I don't know what you would call "US food", but we got some damn good Portuguese restaurants. In fact it is my favorite "U.S." food, because we are everyone from everywhere.

I think that's the right way of see it.

One of the problems with the US is that, as a country, it's too new to have a real identity, so they try to force some things to compensate the lack of a long history. Have you ever noticed how they are always finding "kings" and "queens" of this and that? Why a country that was always a republic would do that?

I think it's a "new kid in town" complex.

The US was huge motivational force to cause millions from oppressive countries to take the chance.

That's true, the US has always been seen as an example of a free country, and, unfortunately, millions of people still don't have many of the freedoms we take for granted.

Persons Obtaining Legal Permanent Resident Status Fiscal Years

Year
1950 249,187
1967 361,972
1977 462,315
1987 601,516
1997 797,847
2007 1,052,415
2008 1,107,126
2009 1,130,818
2010 1,042,625

Wiki

It looks like in 2010 things returned to lower values, I wonder why that happened.
Also, from what I could see on that Wikipedia article, most people go to US from poor countries and/or countries were not all basic freedoms are offered to their citizens.

Btw... Aphex Twin is one of my all time favorite artist. Right up there with The Man in Black. I'm pretty broad when it comes to music.

So am I, and even if I don't like most music that comes from the US, I do like some.

reply to post by ArMaP
Hehe. Yeah, I noticed that 2010 decline too.

Maybe I was really thinking of when we were the "benign envy" of ourselves. Weird times over here, I hope they get better.

Our schools are crap, the morals of our culture are going to crap. If things don't turn for the better we are going down the crapper.

And your right much of the Old World has toilets older than the U.S.

reply to post by Xoanon
Elvis and Johnny was a pretty gritty and proper insert huh. Somehow I knew you would appreciate it.

R.I.P. Johnny!

You know, since this is General Chit Chat...

Take it as you will, for whoever you may be!

Hate me (us), or love me (we) I don't care!

Long live RR

As I play this song it is hard not to think of all the times this has happened....



And just because they are a dying breed...And maybe this thread as well... What is old is new again. From ashes

The Statue had nothing to do with immigration. It was about freedom. The French honored us with the Statue to celebrate the friendship between our countries. We were the first nation ever to make the rulers of their country aware that freedom and liberty was possible. The sonnet, "The New Colossus", engraved at the base, was written by the Jewish poet Emma Lazarus as part of a fund raising campaign. She wrote as a way of honoring those Jews suffering from anti-semitism who wanted to flee from their host countries. The original manuscript is held by the American Jewish Historical Society. The sonnet played no significant part in the celebration of the opening of the statue in 1883 and was all but forgotten. 20 years later the text of the poem was put on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. And that's how the poem ended up on a Statue that was specifically created to honor freedom and originally inscribed only with the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence (JULY IV MDCCLXXVI). And that's why we call it the Statue of Liberty and not the Statue of Immigration.

Today the true story of the Statue of Liberty is disingenuously used for political purposes to paint a gauzy picture of those happy times when we weren't so picky about who was allowed to immigrate to our country. In fact it was just the opposite, the US had (like the rest of the world had, and still has) a merit based immigration policy. Potential immigrants had to stop on the island and pass a rigorous inspection before being allowed to set foot on the mainland. If you didn't have enough money with you, if you had no job skills, or if you had a criminal record, you were rejected. If you passed that phase you were sent to the medical inspection line and uniformed military surgeons quickly culled out those with minor medical conditions. Even a case of glaucoma could cause you to be rejected. The doctors would observe the immigrants as they climbed the stairs leaving the baggage area. If you had difficulty with those stairs, that could cause you to be rejected. Ellis Island was sometimes known as "The Island of Tears" or "Heartbreak Island" because of the immigrants that were turned away.