I sent this letter to our president. I hope 3 million to 5 million more do the same.
Dear Mr. President: I must assume that you have never actually been to the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. If you have, perhaps you never read the words inscribed on the bottom of the statue, words that have stood for the essence of America throughout the world for decades.
I send these words to you today for you to reflect upon.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send me these the homeless tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door.”
Today, I am ashamed to call myself American. Today, I am ashamed of my country. Today, I am ashamed of the office of the presidency. Today, this America that you embrace is not the America of past generations. It is not the America of goodness and greatness. It is an America that is petty and evil and selfish. It is an America that will not lead as an example of human decency.
This is your America, Mr. President, but it is not mine.
MAUREEN ELLERMANN
Concord