The last line of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty is a historical one: “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!”
We welcome the downtrodden, the sick and hungry and even those who no longer can call their nation home: This is the dogma our country was founded upon. The meek and timid shall have a voice here in this fabled land of dreams and opportunities. No political refugee shall be imprisoned for his decry. A home for anyone who believes in themselves and the values of freedom and democracy: This is your land.
Or so the inscription would have all those Ellis Island immigrants believe. Now, more than ever, our nation’s xenophobia has gripped politics, news media, small towns and large towns alike.
This great nation’s sense of fear has become unbearable. Whether it be the town hall meetings on healthcare reform or the all-mighty pundits in Washington, there seems to be less and less acceptance toward welcoming fellow human beings.
Here’s an example: A multimedia presentation done by The Rip highlighted Kevin McCarthy’s town hall meeting held at the Icardo Center. Even the slightest mention of immigrants had one man shouting, “Kick ’em out, kick ’em out!” Is this only our nation? Have we become so selfish that we no longer accept those who are willing to work toward a greater good? Are these peoples not also entitled to freedom?
Yes, we have unfortunately become the antithesis of that historic inscription. Why, you might ask?
Our sense of entitlement has led us to this path. We are so wrapped up in what we believe we should get or have, cell phones and networking Web sites (to name a few things) that we have honestly begun to think that the world should be handed to us on a silver platter. “How does this benefit me? What do I get out of the deal?”
Isn’t the satisfaction of knowing that you are part of the greater good enough? Is it not enough to know that you have provided safe and secure housing for the destitute, given a mother with three children the means to keep those children healthy? Apparently it is not.
Our desire for instant gratification has become overwhelming. Starbucks. Do we really need that much coffee? With a new one popping up almost overnight, one wonders how wired this town can be.
And what happens to these Wal-Marts and Starbucks when they decide it isn’t economically viable for their businesses to remain in a location? They pull up shop and take the next train to Fresno, leaving skeletal remnants of their stores littering the strips with no new prospects for another owner.
The next time you are asking yourself: “What’s in it for me?” Ask another parallel question: “What isn’t in it for them?”