Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Liberty

 

 

The face of liberty

 

The face of Liberty.

 

 

 

Liberty

 

 

Liberty's hand

 

 

"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."

 

Liberty comes together

 

Liberty stands tall on foreign soil

 

The hand of liberty

 

 

"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!"

 

Emma Lazarus

 

 

 

 

The face of freedom

 

The broken chain at the feet of the statue of liberty

 

A broken chain lies at Liberty's feet. 

 

All four of my grandparents came to America at different times from Terceira, Azores.

 

 

 

Photos via Albert Fernique

(New York Public Library).

Comments

30 responses to “Liberty”

  1. NancyO

    Thank you for this thoughtful reminder.
    My paternal grandfather came to the U.S., fleeing from forced service in the army of the country that occupied his homeland. He was 16.

    Reply
  2. Lil

    All of my grandparents came here from Europe. Through Canada and then to New England. My mother’s French side and my dad’s Irish side. And there was prejudice at the time towards both. I am ashamed that ‘we’ are now changing the basic tenets of this great nation.

    Reply
  3. Liz Van Buren

    We are ALL immigrants here, except the Native Americans, and even they came from somewhere else originally. These are horribly sad times, and only to get worse it seems. We voted in an ignorant wicked leader. God help us.

    Reply
  4. Marilyn

    When I attended a town hall meeting yesterday with my senator this is what he quoted:
    The plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty reads: “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!”

    Reply
  5. Mari

    And then there’s proverbs 31:8-9
    Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

    Reply
  6. Marilyn R

    My grandparents and great-grandparents were immigrants, from Norway. My husband’s family is Native American and Mexican, and have lived on land now called the United States for generations. Funny about which group is being told to go back where you came from. Not.

    Reply
  7. Leigh NZ

    Such a beautiful monument

    Reply
  8. Marilyn

    This is beautiful. Thank you.

    Reply
  9. Diogenes

    Liberty: a gift from the people of France to the people of America. Never more meaningful.
    I cannot see these pictures without thinking of the rabbi’s moving speech in the play “Angels in America:”
    “She was……not a person but a whole kind of person, the ones who crossed the ocean, who brought with us to America the villages of Russia and Lithuania – and how we struggled, and how we fought, for the family… because she carried the old world on her back across the ocean, in a boat, and she put it down on Grand Concourse Avenue, or in Flatbush, and she worked that earth into your bones, and you pass it to your children, this ancient, ancient culture and home.
    You can never make that crossing that she made, for such Great Voyages in this world do not anymore exist. But every day of your lives the miles that voyage between that place and this one you cross. Every day. You understand me? In you that journey is.
    So…
    She was the last of the Mohicans, this one was.”

    Reply
  10. pmj

    I am aghast, saddened and frightened at what is going on in the United States. Like your grandparents, Corey, my grandparents immigrated to the US as well (Canada, father’s side, and Finland, mother’s side). Lady Liberty is weeping, and so am I.

    Reply
  11. MS LINDA BROWN

    My ancestors came to the U.S. from Sweden, France, Germany, and England. Some came before Ellis Island and some were processed thru Ellis. I have never met anyone in the U.S. who did not have immigrant ancestry.
    This is a sad time for our country.

    Reply
  12. rcw

    All of the comments above say everything I believe, too. It is such a sad time for us as well as scary.

    Reply
  13. Taste of France

    Since I am not of Native American descent, I also am the product of immigrants. (BTW, listen to episode 600 of This American Life: in part one, the reporter goes to a meeting in Aberdeen, MN, where people are speaking against immigrants and immigration and saying they want a ban on Muslim immigrants. One man stands up, says he’s an American Indian and that “you are all illegal immigrants” and gets laughed out.)
    You may have heard that the artist Christo, who wraps things in monumental amounts of fabric, was supposed to do an installation in Colorado, called “Over the River” (the Arkansas River), in protest over Trump. He would be the perfect one to do a different installation: a black burqa on the Statue of Liberty. In general, I think of the veil as a symbol of oppression of women, but in this case…

    Reply
  14. jend’isère

    So sorry you had to use the current events to use this symbolic beauty as a theme for your post.

    Reply
  15. Leslie in Oregon

    Dear jend’isère (above commenter), The symbolic beauty to which you refer stands for the ideas and principles that are voiced in this post, ideas and principles which are being desecrated by the actions of the President of the U.S. Thank you very much for this post, Corey. It is most important for each of us to raise our voice in whatever way we can, and you have done so beautifully.

    Reply
  16. Jackie

    This post is a brilliant reminder of what truly, actually, made America great. I too am sorry this “symbolic beauty” is being used. I am sorry we live in a time and place where using this symbolic beauty is not only appropriate, but achingly necessary.

    Reply
  17. Cynthia Thompson

    Thank you for the wonderful reminders. We must continue to always remember.

    Reply
  18. JEANNE GUITTON

    Je suis née en France et peu importe mes origines au regatd de la Liberté. Mon coeur pleure d’entendre ce qui vient résonner dans mon poste radio. Et si demain je devais vivre dans un pays où le nationalime et le protectionnisme seraient la nouvelle définition de ma France, où devrais-je aller me réfugier ?
    Un devoir de MéMoire se fait attendre et nous devons nous souvenir du 20 eme siècle, de ces guerres et de leurs origines. Qu’est-ce qu’on attend pour dire NON à la peur des Autres ? MERCI Corey de partager ainsi vos émotions.

    Reply
  19. jend’isère

    I should have expressed myself more clearly. This has been one of the most emotional posts here of my native and adopted countries. What makes me so sorry is that this famous statue has to witness such hatred against every single thing it represents. I hope this icon will gain its meaning and become even more of a symbol of strength.

    Reply
  20. charland

    I am chilled to the bone by what is happening in the United States and my heart is weeping.

    Reply
  21. Kathie

    The small glimmer of consolation this weekend has been that people on both sides of the political spectrum are starting to speak out against the tyranny and bigotry, and the lies on which they’re built. Nowadays, through the convenience of email, it’s easier than ever for Americans to communicate to their Senators and Representative:
    https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
    http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

    Reply
  22. Jean

    Such a powerful post! I have so appreciated all you have said recently about the situation here and agree with all my heart. May it not happen in France. Vote, vote, vote and be informed.

    Reply
  23. Kristin

    Thank you Corey… My maternal grandparents both immigrated from Norway, my paternal grandparents from Poland. My paternal grandfather came at a time (1998) when Polish Jews were not easily able to come to the United States so he became a Canadian citizen and brought the rest of his very large family to Vancouver B.C. Here they opened a clothing store and were successful, my father born there in 1914. One by one the family immigrated to the United States and became citizens here. My whole life was filled with stories of the “old country” and an awareness of what freedom is.
    As I tutor refugees in English today it is always my hope to give them a warm, welcoming place to learn, to grow and to become citizens. They give to me so much deep heart-centered and warm friendship. My heart breaks with the shift in our nation as the welcoming doors are slammed shut.

    Reply
  24. Linda

    Thank you, Corey, for posting this and for marching. As all above have said, I am ashamed of the bigotry and hatred that has been unleashed. They are what our ancestors came here to escape.

    Reply
  25. TerriNTexas

    Why is everyone blaming our current President for what has to be done to prevent more loss of life due to terrorism in our country? I’m sure all of our ancestors who immigrated here (mine included) did not come here to create chaos and kill Americans. Unfortunately a few insane and cruel terrorists who have caused death and destruction in our country are causing extreme measures to be taken. Put the blame where it is due….
    And, thank you Corey for the beautiful Statue of Liberty pictures.

    Reply
  26. Kathie

    Average number of causes of death in the US over the past 10 years:
    2 – Islamic jihadist immigrants
    5 – Far right-wing terrorists
    9: All Islamist jihadist terrorists (including US citizens)
    21 – Armed toddlers
    31 – Lightning
    69 – Lawnmowers
    264 – Being hit by a bus
    737 – Falling out of bed
    11,737 – Being shot by another American
    Talk to us about defending Trump’s ban AFTER you’ve solved all these other problems first.

    Reply
  27. Kathie

    Average number of causes of death PER YEAR in the US over the past 10 years.

    Reply
  28. Ann

    In one week the Pres. has undone all that we cherish as Americans on the immigrant issue. For all those in other countries, please understand the majority of Americans do not agree with the Pres on this issue. That is not who we are. Thank you Corey for the pictures of the All American Girl who immigrated from France and who we believe, with all our heart, what she represents.

    Reply
  29. Leslie in Oregon

    To add one more fact to what Kathie lists below:
    “0
    “Number of refugees who have been implicated in a major fatal terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the Refugee Act of 1980. [CNN]”
    Source: Fivethiryeight.com: Significant Digits
    for January 30, 2017

    Reply
  30. Kathie

    Getting your false claims from “alternative facts Kellyanne,” eh?
    The Obama administration didn’t have a ban, only a SLOW-DOWN, and was much more limited:
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/01/29/trumps-facile-claim-that-his-refugee-policy-is-similar-to-obama-in-2011
    SUMMARY:
    1. Obama responded to an actual threat.
    2. He didn’tt announce a ban on visa applications.
    3. Obama’s policy did not prevent ALL citizens of a country, including green-card holders, from traveling to the US.

    Reply

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