Editor,
With respect to the letter written to you by Mr. Bruce McClay: Yes, Mr. McClay is indeed correct regarding the wonderful, inspiring words on the plaque of the Statue of Liberty. In 1865, a French political intellectual and anti-slavery activist named Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that a statue representing liberty be built for the United States. This monument would honor the United States’ centennial of independence and the friendship with France.
That said, what folks seem to forget is the existence of Ellis Island.
Ellis Island was established in New York Harbor on Dec. 17, 1900, specifically as a means to vet or assess immigrants coming across the Atlantic from Europe, etc., who all had great hopes and dreams of becoming part of the “Great American Dream.” Ninety-eight % were in fact welcomed and became United States citizens. Then in 1921, due to the flooding of immigrants, the Emergency Quota Act was established. This temporary law set annual caps on immigration based on the percentage of immigrants from each country in the 1910 census. The law limited total arrivals from outside the Western Hemisphere to about 358,000 per year.
This was followed by The Immigration Act of 1924.
The quota provided immigration visas to 2% of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census.
During the time that Ellis Island, often referred to as the “Gateway to the New World,” was active, immigrants that were excluded from entry, were primarily denied due to medical concerns like contagious diseases, mental illnesses, physical disabilities or if they were deemed likely to become a “public charge” by relying on government assistance, such as women and unaccompanied children — meaning they lacked the means to support themselves in the United States; other reasons included criminal records, suspected anarchist ties or if they were considered morally unfit by the inspectors. On the other coast, in 1905, the Angel Island Immigration Station was established, and Angel Island became known as the Ellis Island of the West. Between 1910 and 1940, the island welcomed a half million immigrants from 80 countries, including many people from China and Japan. All, of course, were also vetted.
Fast forward to the current onslaught of folks from many different walks of life flowing into our country: about 11.7 million in July 2023, none of which were vetted according to the rules and regulations of Ellis Island. Please think about that for a moment.
Now, regarding your touching bible quotes. No one is stopping anyone from loving their neighbor, caring for them nor giving them nourishment. But, please remember, even Joseph and Mary had to follow the law when they went to Bethlehem for the consensus.
God Bless everyone, and have a very Merry Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you observe.
Mrs. Randi Condon
Battle Ground
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