Venture Out to See the Statue of Liberty and Visit Ellis Island

Taking the ferryboat from the tip of Manhattan to visit Lady Liberty & Ellis Island is a celebration.  As I was passing through the ritualistic security screenings to which we've become inured prior to  boarding, I was made to think of the millions who immigrated to the US passing by the Statue of Liberty & then weaning through the portals & obstacles on Ellis Island.  The Statue of Liberty was a gift to our nation from France in 1876 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the American Revolution.  It made me ponder, what if any monuments has the US given to other countries.  The answer is nada, zilch, nothing.  It can't be said that our country has not been philanthropic through our government and private donors.  But, there has never been any reciprocal monumental recognition given by the US outside our borders.  Which brings up an interesting subject during these gripping times we are living.  The Statue is a beacon of beauty and jingoistic pride.  Touring Ellis Island is a powerful experience. This is where so many immigrants & so many of our ancestors first made their way into our country.  It opened its doors in 1892 and by 1954, when Ellis Island stopped functioning as an immigration building, 12,000,000 people have passed through its gateways.  There is an exhibition of anti-immigration propaganda that glooms in the shadows of Lady Liberty's gleaming torch and the mounting xenophobic pall that persists.