But first let's read this dedication poem on the foot of the Colossus, a gift from ever increasingly (and unemployed) socialist France in the name of Freedom, which stands overlooking New York Harbor ...

The New Colossus

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-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I, like the Libertarian nerd-tastic goddess that I am, dressed up in the most gawdawfulest Lady Liberty statue costume one year for the state fair, and stomped around the grounds reciting this poem. I swear, I must have been the most ridiculous spectacle, but I choked up when the meaning of these words hit me, over and over again and I trudged on. The symbol of this country, what made us great, is encapsulated here.

We don't look at people as castes, as scum, as filth, as moochers. At least we didn't in those days. Even if they didn't know their ABC's and 123's they were still human beings capable of doing an honest day's work and contributing in this country. In those days we didn't have socialism in the land of the free and the home of the independent. In those days they were welcome to come on over and clean up after us and deliver our milk. People supported themselves. And the country was happy for them to do it.

Today we have benevolent services to keep our noble citizenry from falling through the cracks. And we HATE to see that system taxed by more scum, more human filth, more riffraff dragging us down. Especially no more melanin in this country. Why, those uneducated wetbacks will never become engineers and scientists in THIS competitive market. By all means, keep them out, LEST THEY TRY... Guess what? They aren't trying for those jobs. Those that weren't privy to socialist education in their own countries are not trying to play catch up here. They just want to clean your motel rooms and build your highways, landscape your cities, construct your homes, wait on your tables, live 12 in a 2 bedroom house, and feel lucky to do it.

You know what? WE invited them. Emma Lazarus STILL invites them. And she did not promise free anything - shelter, food, medicine, money, education - nothing. She did not promise anything, it was a strictly BYOB invite, and by the scads they filled Ellis Island, until we shut it down, long about the time FDR made us real considerate of our fellow man. Geez. Thanks.

If we were really the land of the free, as our forefathers intended, we would welcome them with open arms still. We'd still check their health and the spelling of their names as they came through. We'd keep tuberculosis out, but dadgummit, productivity in. You wouldn't come here for the free ride - that's reserved for those born to privilege here - America's own trust fund kids, her citizens. But you'd be welcome to come here and make the most of our opportunities, non-opportunistically.

And if that's not true, well then let's just stop the hypocrisy and rip that lady of liberty down, because she has become a mockery. We no longer deserve her hopeful image towering over our big apple when not so deep below the surface we're xenophobic assholes.

Look at that statue, and ask yourself what it really means to you.

And go hug a Mexican. That's what it means to me.

Rachel Mills