“The New Colossus,” a poem written by Emma Lazarus, and engraved on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, in part reads:
"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!"
Many have written commentary regarding Trump’s disregard for US immigration policy and constitutional rights, so I merely wish to add a personal note. All four of my grandparents were immigrants. They had literally only the clothes on their backs when they arrived in this country, believing in the possibility of a new life far from the strife and tempests of their native lands.
If they came today, if they came under a Trumpian oligarchy, they would be called worthless refugees, unwanted scum because they appeared to be losers. No money, no prospective work, no relatives, only a few ordinary skills.
But they had hope. They had enthusiasm. Gumption, as granny called it. They made America their home and never looked back, working hard to contribute, to learn the laws of the land, to give to their new communities, to actually build up small businesses without that teeny, tiny 14 million dollar loan and silver nappies Trump whimpers about.
They all became US citizens, passing a test that Trump would fail even if he studied. So it is in honor of my grandparents and all the immigrants who made this country a beacon of hope that I’ve created this cartoon. Let us always welcome the refugees, the tempest-tossed, the people who yearn to breathe free.
Let us never allow ANYONE to extinguish the light at our Golden Door.