Hey everyone!

 We're out of town for the week, but here's the audio version of an article from our website. 

The Statue of Liberty stands for Opportunity, and a Hand-Up | Not a guaranteed Hand-Out

" 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 " - Emma Lazarus

 

This poem, as wonderful as it is, has taken on a new meaning; applied by those on the left that wish to help those in need, by way of higher taxes, and increased wealth redistribution.

 

The new meaning goes something like this: "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 will make sure that they are well taken care of by way of increased taxation on the most productive in our society."

 

An NPR host called the original poem the "American Ethos." Although she was referring to the original poem, her meaning was implied in my sarcastic revision.

So what does the Statue of Liberty stand for?  

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France (mostly) to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of our independence from Great Britain.

 

I think the most important thing to note in the dedication of the statue was that it celebrated a time that we broke off from a tyrannical Kingdom that was taxing the people to death. "Taxation without representation" was one of the leading rally cries of the American colonies.

 

Another very important thing to remember is that at the time of the statues dedication, there was no income tax in America. There was no welfare system. A simple fact such as this should easily make the case that in no way does the statue mean --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/goodmorningliberty/support

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices