American Law is not Found Within a Poem

I think this is worth mentioning in light of recent events.  People keep mentioning the famous quote on the Statue of Liberty in reference to the refugee crisis: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

It's worth noting that the sonnet which this quote comes from, "New Colossus," was written by Emma Lazarus for a fundraiser auction to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty now sits.  The poem did not receive much recognition and was quite forgotten after the auction.

It wasn't until after her death in the early 1900's that one of her friends began a campaign to memorialize Lazarus and her New Colossus sonnet. The effort was a success, and a plaque with the poem's text was mounted inside the pedestal of the statue.

Emma Lazarus' poem is just that - a poem.  People keep throwing around her words as if they are America's top priority, as if they were written by the founding fathers and enshrined in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. 

I just thought it was worth mentioning that while the words are powerful and beautiful, they are idealistic and are not an integral part of America.  America is a shining beacon for immigrants because of our values, our freedoms, and our security.  Without our security, there would be no freedom to seek here.

We are still the shining beacon of freedom and opportunity because so many of our brave men and women have shed blood and given their lives to preserve our safety and freedom.  Security is not taken lightly here.

America clearly is a land of immigrants, and that is a beautiful thing.  But there is a reason we have borders and immigration laws.  There is a reason why we should be absolutely sure about the vetting process of refugees, to ensure we aren't opening ourselves to unnecessary risk that could be avoided. 

We must be caring yet vigilant, to preserve the American way that people yearn to be a part of.  And that is not un-American.