Statute of Liberty quote changed in an insanely ignorant, UN-American way by a very, very, very dumb guy.
"Huddled Masses’ in Statue of Liberty Poem Are European, Trump Official Says"
“Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet,” said Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a top Trump administration immigration official. His remarks set off a controversy.
By Jacey Fortin Aug. 14, 2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/cuccinelli-statue-liberty-poem.html
"Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, one of the Trump administration’s top immigration officials, set off a controversy this week with comments about “The New Colossus,” the 136-year-old sonnet at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
"Trump immigration official offers rewrite for Statue of Liberty poem"
By QUINT FORGEY 08/13/2019 08:55 AM EDT
updated 08/13/2019 10:02 PM EDT
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/13/statue-of-liberty-poem-immigration-ken-cuccinelli-1459824
"President Donald Trump's top immigration official on Tuesday offered a revised version of the poem long displayed inside the Statue of Liberty's pedestal that aligns more closely with the administration's latest rule aimed at curbing the number of people who enter the United States legally.
Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, was asked by NPR whether the words of Emma Lazarus' “The New Colossus,” inscribed on a bronze tablet exhibited in the museum at the statue's base, remain "part of the American ethos."
"They certainly are," Cuccinelli said. "Give me your tired and your poor — who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."Cuccinelli's comments come after the administration announced Monday a "public charge" regulation allowing federal officials to deny green cards to legal immigrants who have received certain public benefits or who are deemed likely to do so in the future."
I think immigrants have come to this country for a couple hundred years, and eventually were able to "stand on their own two feet," but not necessarily the day they arrived. Many people need help to get a start, and, given a fair shake, pay back what they get in welfare for free many times over.
