The New Colossus by Emma Lazerus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "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!"
I posted this wonderful poem before but the post seems to have dissappeared. Weird things happen on blogger sometimes.
YES! A towering symbol calling out to the huddled and oppressed people everywhere, that have long suffered under kingdoms, religious monarchies, dictators, and warlords around the world. Immigrants, desperately seeking a better rule of law, where people are guaranteed the freedom to choose their political structure and leadership, and their form of worship without persecution from "infallible" popes and grand ayatollahs; the freedom to believe in a god, or in no diety at all!
ReplyDeleteRead the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and especially our precious 1st Amendment!
reb
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Next, Read the Declaration of Independence,
ReplyDeletewhere 56 brave men risked their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor in signing that document. The English King would have stretched their necks if his red-coats could find them! - reb
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Mohamed - Would you like to comment on this post?
ReplyDeletereb
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Reb,
ReplyDeleteHow does such a freedom lover as yourself justify censoring his own blog?
Rory
Rory - Good Question!
ReplyDeleteAnswer: 'Monitoring Comments' Stops the PorkyPas Pinheads and other Hate Merchants from bringing their filthy remarks over, and smearing up my hours-per-day efforts.
To Each His Own Policy! Don't You Agree?
reb
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Reb,
ReplyDeleteI don't agree, if you choose to post controversial articles (which you do), then you should allow your readers a right to reply. Otherwise your website is just boring propoganda (which it is), not somewhere where one can find an intelligent debate.
Rory
Rory - You & I both post controversial articles,
ReplyDeleteand you do have a right to reply, and I'll trust you to be fair, follow simple rules governing conduct (decent language that doesn't offend my family-members) then you can say anything of a controversial nature you please. Solid criticism doesn't offend me, but I will defend my viewpoint, anywhere..at any time.
Now, we have developed a bond of trust.
Mr. WhyNot doesn't understand it; doesn't give a damn. I don't want to waste my time criticizing anyone; or calling them filthy names.
It's a far more interesting blog if we trust each other, and set some basic standards.
Freedom of speech has limits i.e. you can't yell fire in a theater, or yell "kill that cop!" here, or you wind up in jail. Same in road traffic; follow certain rules or you cause a fatality, maybe your own! - reb
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Rory - You really seem to like Poetry. Have you read Horatius At The Bridge? - reb
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Reb,
ReplyDeleteNo. I don't read much poetry, but if I come across a poem I like, it sticks in my mind.
Rory
Rory - Fortunately, I had an hour to spend looking at your December 25th, 2009 Post... "Sayings of Mosha Dayan"...What a great series of quotes from men who think! All with credentials, and more schooling than I'll ever have. All have earned my great respect in this single series. Wowee!
ReplyDeleteFrom Graycrow, Mohamed, Loop Garoo, No Slappz and Amillennialist; an honest discussion with passionate views permitted here. Each allowed to speak freely; and no nasty words or "reviles" to interrupt the flow of thoughts and evidence.
BlogOfBlogs Best Effort-Freedom of Speech Lives!
reb
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Reb,
ReplyDeleteWe try our best.
Rory
Rory - I will say, you really had a good rally going when you let no-slappz, amillennialist, and Mohamed sit at the same table. A cool 75 BAck & Forth Comments in 31 days. Impressive!
ReplyDeletereb
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What will become of the great Lady?
ReplyDeleteNot like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates did stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
was the imprisoned lightning, and her name now
Mother of Infidels. From her now amputated hand
Glowed world-wide welcome; her mild eyes (all you can see of her)
above and below by black cloth framed.
"Keep ancient lands, your sympathy!" cries she
With silent lips and nose removed. "Keep your tired, your poor,
I've got huddled masses breathing shari'a;
The wretched refuse of my teeming shore
Did nothing while the moderates and mujahideen, Tempter-tost to me,
Lifted my head beside the golden door!"
Amillennialist,
ReplyDeleteyou really are a nasty piece of work, don't hang around or you might learn (to your discomfort) the true meaning of satire.
Rory
Rory - I believe you missed Sir 'A's satirical point: Our brave lady standing in New York harbor
ReplyDeleteis symbolic of welcoming the down-trodden and is "our great lady" of oppressed people seeking freedom from dictators and religious oppression. She will never wear those chains, i.e. the black burqa!
If this is truly a 'free-speech' blog as you have indicated many times, and even filthy-mouthed pinheads are permitted here, then why slam the door on this middle-east scholar that opposes all forms of wholesale violence? - reb
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Rory - We hear much about Islam being the 'Religion of Peace', and I was looking through my notes today and found an item about Anthony & Cleopatra and Cicero about a 100 years before Christ.
ReplyDeleteCicero was a great philosopher and politician in those days, and he said this: "I do not reject peace, but I am afraid of war, often disguised as peace."
Something we might all ponder. - reb
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