Almost everyone knows about the Statue of Liberty, and many of us have learned a few facts about its construction and origin. Even so, you really can’t grasp it until you see it up close. Although hundreds of statues of liberty are sold at gift shops and souvenir stands all over New York every day, not all of the people who buy them have actually been inside that statue. Once you are, you can really understand the immensity of it. It is absolutely huge. We have our own colossus in this country ? one of the most tremendous and awe-inspiring statues ever made ? and we completely take it for granted.
The Statue of Liberty, of course, was not something that our ancestors could take for granted. When my grandparents came over to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty was, I’m sure, one of the first things they saw. It was like a beacon of freedom shining on them, welcoming them to the land of opportunity. Times have changed since then, of course, but if we want to be good Americans, we have to preserve the essence of what has made our country great. We have to keep our doors open to immigrants, and preserve a tradition of acceptance. No matter what our government does, the Statue of Liberty will be there as a reminder to us about what America is supposed to stand for.
I personally think that every school child in the country should go and see the Statue of Liberty up close. Of course, they should not take a trip to New York for the sole purpose of seeing the statue. While they’re there, they might as well see the other important cultural sites. Time Square, Central Park, and many other attractions are there to delight visitors to New York, whether they are young or old. Yet none of them symbolize freedom like the liberty statue does. It is not just a monument for New York, but for the whole country.
Perhaps Statue of Liberty tours should not start out on Ellis Island. Perhaps they should actually start out in the water. I sort of think that is how the Statue of Liberty was meant to be seen anyway. The immigrant experience in America is the truest experience. It is something that almost all of us share in our history, and something we would do well to remember. Seeing this impressive national landmark is just one way that we can remind ourselves what our country is all about.