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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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