A French Lady Liberty Enlightens the World
Location: Liberty Island, New York Harbor, 40.6892° N, 74.0444° W
Today, Lady Liberty is in mourning. She is weeping in solidarity with the nation who gave her as a gift commemorating our alliance. According to the National Parks Service Statue of Liberty webpage, “In 1865, Edouard de Laboulaye (a French political thinker, U.S. Constitutional expert, and abolitionist) proposed the monument be built as a gift from France to the United States in order to commemorate the perseverance of freedom and democracy in the United States and to honor the work of late president Abraham Lincoln.”[1]
The goal of this monument was to honor the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. She was named “Liberty Enlightening the World” and was designed to stand “above conservatism and liberalism and above radical revolutions and political turmoil. She would be an international symbol of liberty, justice, and democracy.”[2] Today, in light of the attacks in Paris by violent extremists who are looking to create political turmoil and crush freedom and liberty, we honor our French allies and stand beside them in their time of grief and trial. We honor the spirit of the Statue of Liberty and stand firm, boldly proclaiming that “Liberty Enlightens the World.” Liberty will not be silenced by the efforts of radical insurgents. It will be strengthened, as those who live under the torchlight of liberty rise and stand united to defend it.
We offer our prayers for those lost. We stand beside France as she recovers from the shock of the attack and offer the same alliance and friendship that is forever symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. A French Lady Liberty stands proudly on our shores as a beacon to proclaim…. “Liberte, egalite, fraternite.” Vive la France! Vive la liberte!
[1] http://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/the-french-connection.htm
[2] ibid
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