Should the United States consider returning the Statue of Liberty to France? I am beginning to think so.

The statue was designed and built in France in the 1880s and given to the US as a symbol of independence, freedom, and democracy. The torch in Liberty’s outstretched hand is the light of hope, and the broken chains at her feet symbolize freedom and the end of slavery in this country.

A poem, written by Emma Lazarus and memorialized at the statue’s base, contains the most often quoted phrase from the Declaration of Independence, which declares to the world this country’s promise: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.”

The Declaration of Independence proclaimed what our founding fathers wanted for this country, even in its limited way at the time. Later, this statue became a welcoming beacon of hope and the promise of economic prosperity to all the immigrants that entered the country through New York Harbor and Ellis Island.

Unfortunately, since January 20, 2025 that prominent symbol may no longer be valid for its original intention, so why keep it.

Ken Kaiyala
7-8-2025