Life, Liberty and the Dispute of Happiness
"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!" (Lazarus, lines 10-14)
This excerpt is from Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” which is on a bronze plaque inside the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island. The Statue of Liberty represents the welcoming of tens of thousands of immigrants from around the world who wish to start a new life and escape the trepidations and ruthlessness of their home country. I believe we take these words in the poem for granted and sometimes we overlook it because we live in one of the greatest nations to ever exist …show more content…
“America’s open, free, tolerant society is described by some as a vulnerability in the struggle against terrorism. But I actually believe it’s one of our greatest strengths. It reduces the appeal of radicalism and enhances the richness and resilience of our communities.” (Chan, para 3) Basically, America is a melting pot of different cultures and we should be welcoming people of all walks of life with open arms. Also, if people are afraid that refugees from the Middle East are potential terrorists, then what reason are those refugees leaving their country for if it isn’t to escape …show more content…
In those 14 years, exactly three resettled refugees have been arrested for planning terrorist activities—and it is worth noting two were not planning an attack in the United States and the plans of the third were barely credible.” (Newland, para 3) That means that .000004% of refugees in the United States had ties with terrorist groups. If refugees coming into the country since 2001 have had virtually no ties to terrorism, then what makes people think that ISIS is hiding within the Syrian refugees waiting to be admitted in the US? The terrorists have been playing the same game for as long as we know it, and they are, unfortunately, doing very well at it. ISIS may be the “hot” terrorist group lately, but they’re just like every other terrorist group; they generate fear. What ever happened to our liberties? What ever happened to our right to privacy? What ever happened to allowing immigrants into our country to seek a fresh start? The terrorists didn’t ruin our country. We did.
“Liberty did not only mean freedom from the aristocracy of Britain that led the American colonists to the Revolutionary War. Liberty also meant freedom to come to the United States and create a new life without religious and ethnic persecution.” (Lazarus’ Poem, para 4) When I think of liberty, I don’t think of just being sovereign because that is just an understatement. Liberty is an aspiration
"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!" (Lazarus, lines 10-14)
This excerpt is from Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” which is on a bronze plaque inside the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island. The Statue of Liberty represents the welcoming of tens of thousands of immigrants from around the world who wish to start a new life and escape the trepidations and ruthlessness of their home country. I believe we take these words in the poem for granted and sometimes we overlook it because we live in one of the greatest nations to ever exist …show more content…
“America’s open, free, tolerant society is described by some as a vulnerability in the struggle against terrorism. But I actually believe it’s one of our greatest strengths. It reduces the appeal of radicalism and enhances the richness and resilience of our communities.” (Chan, para 3) Basically, America is a melting pot of different cultures and we should be welcoming people of all walks of life with open arms. Also, if people are afraid that refugees from the Middle East are potential terrorists, then what reason are those refugees leaving their country for if it isn’t to escape …show more content…
In those 14 years, exactly three resettled refugees have been arrested for planning terrorist activities—and it is worth noting two were not planning an attack in the United States and the plans of the third were barely credible.” (Newland, para 3) That means that .000004% of refugees in the United States had ties with terrorist groups. If refugees coming into the country since 2001 have had virtually no ties to terrorism, then what makes people think that ISIS is hiding within the Syrian refugees waiting to be admitted in the US? The terrorists have been playing the same game for as long as we know it, and they are, unfortunately, doing very well at it. ISIS may be the “hot” terrorist group lately, but they’re just like every other terrorist group; they generate fear. What ever happened to our liberties? What ever happened to our right to privacy? What ever happened to allowing immigrants into our country to seek a fresh start? The terrorists didn’t ruin our country. We did.
“Liberty did not only mean freedom from the aristocracy of Britain that led the American colonists to the Revolutionary War. Liberty also meant freedom to come to the United States and create a new life without religious and ethnic persecution.” (Lazarus’ Poem, para 4) When I think of liberty, I don’t think of just being sovereign because that is just an understatement. Liberty is an aspiration