Unveiling the True Essence of the Statue of Liberty

In recent times, misconceptions have clouded the genuine meaning behind the Statue of Liberty. Many believe it symbolizes the U.S. extending a welcome to the impoverished, poorly educated, and unfortunate of other nations, citing the famous inscription: "Give me your tired, give me your poor, give me your huddled masses."

However, a closer examination reveals a different narrative, one rooted in the celebration of freedom and liberty rather than immigration. The statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, was France's expression of gratitude to the United States for being the first nation to demonstrate that freedom and liberty were attainable.

The commonly quoted phrase, "Give me your tired, give me your poor, give me your huddled masses," engraved on the statue's base, was part of a poem titled "The New Colossus" written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. Surprisingly, it wasn't included on the pedestal until 1903.

Lazarus wrote the poem as part of a campaign to raise funds for the statue's pedestal, and its original intent was not focused on immigration but rather on freedom and liberty. The statue was meant to be a torchbearer, with Lady Liberty stepping forward to carry the torch of liberty from the United States to the rest of the world.

Contrary to the prevailing misconception, the Statue of Liberty is not a beacon for immigrants tired, poor, huddled, hungry, or thirsty seeking refuge in the United States. Its purpose is to illuminate the path to liberty for the global community. Over the years, Lady Liberty symbolically offered freedom to France and Europe, inspiring these regions to formulate their own interpretations of freedom.

While various countries developed their versions of freedom, none paralleled the unique form established by the United States. The U.S. was the pioneer in embracing freedom, signing the Declaration of Independence and crafting a Constitution designed to protect the natural rights of individuals by limiting the government's authority.

Despite the passage of time, the true meaning of the original documents—such as the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution—and the Statue of Liberty appears to elude many. Those who misunderstand or intentionally misinterpret these symbols risk altering the United States into something contrary to the founders' intentions.

In essence, the Statue of Liberty is a testament to the enduring spirit of freedom. Its light does not guide immigrants to the United States but illuminates the path to liberty for the entire world. Understanding this fundamental truth allows us to appreciate the rich historical significance of Lady Liberty and the principles she represents.\

Politics do not belong in the patient's room

There's this old saying that you should never discuss politics with people you are not familiar with. No place does this hold more true than when you are working in a hospital around sick patients.

This brings me to two more RT Cave rules:

RT Cave Rule #32: You can talk about anything with the patient so long as the patient approves of it. In a sense, you will want to baby your patients. A stressed patient heals slower.

RT Cave Rule #33: Never talk politics within earshot of your patients unless you know the patient will not be offended by opposing views. Or, if you don't know the patient, keep your mouth shut. This is especially true of naive and stubborn patients.

It shouldn't' take a genius to figure this out, but a patient's room is his pseudo home. It should be as friendly and safe an environment as if the patient were in his own home. If she is never exposed to an opposing viewpoint at home, she should not be exposed to one in the health care setting.

And, since you have no clue what the setting of her home is, and what kind of people she associates with, you should just keep your mouth shut.

This was a lesson I learned within the first week I was working at Shoreline. We had a nurses assistant named Larry. I watched as he rushed out of a room that I was about to enter. As soon as I entered the room, the patient said, "Do not ever let that man in my room again!"

"What did he do?"

"He's a republican! I hate republicans!" He looked at me with intense eyes. "You aren't a republican are you?"

"Absolutely not." If I was, he would never know.

I might say vague things like, "Yeah, I believe that people are smarter and more capable of solving problems than government. However there may be rare occasions the government may need to step in."

Which is funny, because last night I broke this rule and I was talking politics with the nurses at the nurses station. What I wasn't paying attention to was that the patient in the room by the station were both awake and listening.

The call light went on. The patient said, "I heard what you were saying. Do you like Obama?"

Gulp! "Umm," I said. I was hoping maybe the patient would fall asleep or something as I paused, but he continued staring expressionless. "Well, you can't really judge a person before he ever does anything."

I was impressed with my extemporaneous response there. I did not know this patient, so I certainly didn't want to express like nor dislike for the president.

Then the patient said something totally off the wall, at which time I suspected he was out to lunch. However one never knows for sure what one is capable of thinking.

This is not to say I have never had a great political discussion with a patient before, because I have had many. Yet I suppose I have common sense enough to know how to pick my spots, and how not to tick off a patient.

And, hence, RT cave Rule #'s 32 and 33 come in handy.

Politics and patients don't mix

As I was in the process of peeling that last EKG sticker off, the gaunt and toothless man, who smiled all through the procedure, said, "So, you are going to vote for that little black man, Right?" His smile grew.

"You are talking about Obama, right?" I said.

"Yepper. I think he'll be a good man for that office. Don't you?"

I thought deep and hard for about three seconds. "I don't know I said."

I was not going to go there. I refuse to talk politics with any patient, especially one I don't know.

I've learned to keep my mouth shut

I walked down to ER just now to do an EKG and found out there were three of them. So I set out to do them when a nurse's assistant asked me if she could do them for me, "I want some practice," she said.

"Cool," I said. "Do you need me to help you?"

"No. I just want some practice, that's all." She smiled brightly.

This was awesome. Instead I leaned on the counter by the nurses station and listened to the political talk. One thing I've learned in my 10 years here is that RNs and doctors sure aren't shy about talking about politics.

"I'm trying to find something to do my thesus on," Milhouse said.

"I have a good idea what would make a great thesus," Sarah said.

"Well, give it to me."

"I think that instead of the government letting people come to the ER for free they should make them pay two dollars. That way they'd think twice about coming in here."

"It's true we treat a lot of useless stuff here."

"I mean, most of these people can afford cigarettes and beer, so why wouldn't they be able to afford two bucks for health care." She smiled wryly and looked around the room as though hoping no unintended ears were open.

"Amen!" I said, softly enough so that no one heard me. The conversation went on, and despite how bad I wanted to participate, I just stood there.

I've learned to listen and not participate to these types of discussions around here. I put in my 10 cents into a conversation in ER the last election cycle, and I had one of the nurses in tears.

Trust me, I didn't mean to. I didn't say anything bad about her, I would never do that. I was just stating my opinion. I was just having fun.

I've learned to keep my lips sealed and just listen, unless I know the poeple I'm talking with and know they are cool about discussing politics. Some people, however, are sensitive to politics, and I don't want to be the one to tick them off, especially when I have to work with these people.

And for that reason I try to keep my mouth shut. The key word is try.

RT Cave Rule #38: You're better off not discussing politics or religion at work unless you know the people around you agree with you, or can handle the discussion. If there is even one person present you're not familiar with, then don't discuss these topics period.