Dear Citizens of the United States,
The past week has been a whirlwind of debate and emotions for many. The President issued an immigration executive order that would bar immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. The executive order led to an unprecedented detainment of visa-holding Americans around U.S. airports.
It is clear that reality is upended. And as per usual, when such a thing happens, humans are subject like sheep to the grossness of the human spirit. In such a time, may we stand by a reminder of what our country stands for at its very best. Let us recall the ideals of liberty so we may live truly free. It has become clear to me that very much of what the United States has wanted to stand for, that country I recall learning about in the first grade, has been forgotten.
So may these quotes be a reminder to anyone that has let fear suffocate liberty. Those brightest minds succumbing to the paranoia of the improbable. To them reread these quotes. Never forget them and let them be like glue to the American spirit, and everything of American exceptionalism.
Upon the declaration of war by the U.S. in 1941 to Japan, President FDR gave the nation one of its greatest speeches. And in it were the unforgettable lines:
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Such a quote carried its way up to the 21st century and was used by many New Yorkers and Americans alike to say, "If we give into fear, then they, the terrorists, win." Perhaps maybe they have won after all.
To us Americans, our Lady Liberty is an absolute symbol that is most endearing to this nation. She is beautiful, she is bold and she is intelligent. Perhaps it's best to recall the poem that is stamped on her pedestal.
"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-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
For those who think that the ideals of liberty only apply to those within our borders, please refer to the 14th amendment (Section 1) for legal clarification on the matter.
"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
This is the most litigated part of the constitution. Its power is incredible. Please note the use of persons and not citizens. It is important, as noted by many judges and as used in many cases.
For the final note, I think Benjamin Franklin best summed up why liberty and protection of a nation are mutually exclusive.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Recall these words and phrases, and let no propaganda machine drive you and the spirit of America away from these causes, for whatever reason they may have, or however logical they may seem. Anything – anything – at all that bars any human from the experience of liberty will only destroy the nation that you tried so hard to protect. Oh, the irony; you tried to save America, but you're only killing it.
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