Save the monument but kick out the people the monument should represent
Its been a while, I know. I apologize for the long absence to everyone subscribed. When I got back home following my honeymoon school and life just refused to slow down. I realize now that its less a matter of slowing life down and more a matter of making a point to take at least 30 minutes two write something here.
The need finally came this morning, when I saw a commercial for the Save Ellis Island organization. The commercial brought together actors, athletes, role models, making a plea to help them save this hugely important monument to American History. And indeed it is a great monument, to the young and idealistic years of our nation. A lot of great things happened at the hospital at Ellis Island, and i believe that it should not be allowed to fall into ruin.
Yet I couldn’t help but feel awkward thinking about all these role models asking for people to contribute towards the $300 million needed to save a monument to an America that really doesn’t exist anymore. Today this self proclaimed melting-pot has have a fence in Texas, an ankle-deep rule in Florida, and a concentration camp in Cuba. The soup is ready, the golden door of opportunity closed. America doesn’t need immigrants anymore, at least not legal ones that will put more strain on public health and social services.
Anthropologists at the island are, in fact, finding evidence that our early immigration process wasn’t a happy free for all that some might think. Of the 12 million that came through the island, 250,000 were were turned back. But a great many were detained indefinitely at there, because of physical or mental sickness. 9 out of every 100 deemed physically fit enough to enter the country were then marked for psychological examination. Over the 60 years that the port was in operation, the facility became hugely crowded. Landfill was actually used to enlarge the island to make room for new hospital and housing facilities. 355 babies were born and 3,500 immigrants died.
Wait, the immigrants had health care?
Its a fascinating story, one that deserves to be explored. But I challenge those who champion the cause to examine what their actions mean in a contemporary context, and what our Nation’s admittedly imperfect display of youthful idealism can teach an aging country that has become fat and content reminiscing about the glory days.
