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I can understand
how angry people are at France.
I had not thought
of the link with our Liberty till recently reminded.
The gift was given
so long ago that even who gave it, and why, has paled
in the shining light of what she stands for in this country
now.
To me she stands
for the purity of heart of this nation whereby every people,
no matter who they are, or from whence they have come, are
given a chance. She stands for the "heart" of our nation,
its love of freedom and our
desire to see all peoples enjoy freedom.
She stands as a
welcome sign to strangers and a welcome home sign
to all who have traveled
and then return to our shores.
She cannot speak,
but she says volumes about our past and the appreciation
that has been shown all through
the years from various peoples
and countries. She cannot
move, but her loving arms give a
warm embrace to those coming
to our shores and a fond goodbye
to those who are leaving.
Given with any gift
is a purpose. If the giver
then does not remain close
as a friend, the purpose of
the gift whether a gift of encouragement,
thanks or love is not diminished.
It still stands for
the purpose it was given. The people of
France who gave the gift
then were not like the people of France now.
They do not have the chance
to come back and educate the
French of today on the history
of our relationship, nor chastise
France today for its unthankful
behavior toward us.
At the time of the
gift, the people were different
and that gift stands for
some of the best characteristics
America has.
Lady Liberty, as
she is often called, now
has become a symbol of the heart of America. Obviously
lots of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since
then. We should treasure the gifts of the past. We should
be teaching the history of
our nation and imparting the "heart" of
that nation, the love for it and our God to our children at
every opportunity. Rather
than tossing out the importance of things that
have some kind of link to some unpleasantness now, let us
link it to yesterday, which
is the true link, using the past to build a
graceful future and draw from it the nectar of the best of
America for today's patriotic
diet.
Copyright Marjorie 2003
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