The lady celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct 28, 1986.  It is one of the most widely recognized landmark in the world and has become the symbol of America’s promise of freedom and liberty.  

Image via Wikipedia

The symbol is still there but is the promise still available?  America is now suffering from growing pains as it has done many times before.  Hopefully, it will be able to recover and continue to fulfill the vision of its founding fathers.

The poem at the bottom of the lady is as follow:

“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!”

Architecture Miracle

The statue is truly a magnificent work of art as well as a engineering achievement.  To design such a massive structure standing upright was very challenging at that time.  Adding to the challenge was building it in France and shipping it across the Atlantic and reassembling it in New York after that.  It was broken down into 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates.  

The assembly took 4 months to complete.

Blessing or Curse

America has received so many in the past and has prospered because of it.  However, many are would argue that they have prospered despite the immigration.  The amount of talents it receives each year gives it the greatest competitive edge among all the countries in the world.

I wonder if 911 has changed all that.

Source:

http://www.statueofliberty.org/Statue_History.html

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