Over the weekend while protests broke out at many large-city airports, I thought about a VFW Voice of Democracy essay contest I won third place in in junior high school.

I wrote about immigration and, in typical junior high rhetoric, I talked about what it says on the Statute of Liberty: “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!”

Over the weekend, I lamented to my family that maybe the United States is no longer allowed to be caretakers of this statue. Maybe France wants it back?

The protestors took objection to the recent executive order signed by the Mook that restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries, suspends all refugee admission for 120 days and bars all Syrian refugees indefinitely.

Travelers with valid documentation were detained, but released after attorneys stepped in to challenge the detentions. What’s clear is that non-citizens are most affected by the order, specifically refugees waiting resettlement in the US and all Syrian refugees. What remains unclear are those who are green-card holders who may leave the country to visit family. Returning to family here in the US may be problematic, even those with dual citizenship of other countries.

Some conservatives have chimed in that the protests are a liberal overreaction. The Mook just wants to put immigration on hold while the US determines if the current process works and doesn’t undermine US security. But man, when the CATO Institute chimes in that people from those countries on the executive orders have killed no Americans in terrorist attacks and that the order does zilch, well, what’s this really about?

Mook and Bannon-invented tactics to further Muslim fear? That wall, gotta get that wall up, too. I’m not ready to send Lady Liberty packing, and by the looks of things, thousands and thousands of others aren’t ready either. The Constitution still means something. Democracy still means something. Our country’s immigrant history … yes, it still means something … something worth fighting for as promised.

— Mari Herreras, mari@tucsonlocalmedia.com

This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2017.

12 replies on “Editors Note”

  1. Statute of Liberty? Well your protesters last night declared war at UC Berkley and attacked free speech, innocent people, campus police and univesity structures. Firebombed buildings and vehicles.

    War has been declared. What response would you expect public safety to make?

  2. Last week you said Trump was a racist. I asked you what you based that on. You never responded. I’m still waiting.

  3. ” I talked about what it says on the Statute of Liberty:”

    Please tell us that was an accident. Please.

  4. @Debra C:
    No accident. There’s a plaque at the entrance to the Statue of Liberty which contains Emma Lazarus’ great ode – which Mari quotes in part here.

  6. Yep, that damn Trump trying to keep us safe. Years ago Pres. Carter did the same thing to refugees from Iran. I don’t recall the left going batshit then. Just saying.

  8. CW during the Carter years this new wave of leftinistas hadn’t yet been born. Or smoked tons of legal weed. If somebody tries to create them a job, they get angry. they do volunteer work for Soros. Or does he pay them?

    The Feds need to track those cash disbursements.

  10. France didn’t give us the statue to promote open borders/immigration nor did Emma Lazarus’s words come with it. Aztlan Mari will consider anyone racists for not accepting that Tucson should be Mexico again.

    When will you assimilate Mari, when will you accept and embrace being an American?

  12. Mari accused Trump of being a racist. I’m still waiting for her to tell us what proof she has of that. I’m not holding my breath. More to follow.

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