In response to the Aug. 25 letter to the editor by Jeremy Dunn, regarding immigration, I offer the following rebuttal. The full name of Bertholdi’s masterpiece is Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. At her feet are broken chains because she was given in commemoration of the abolition of slavery. Her meaning evolved over time as the vast numbers of immigrants coming to America saw her first upon arrival in New York City. All those who came through Ellis Island were undocumented, so if the progeny of those who came here illegally want to suffer the consequences of their elders’ crimes, they may submit themselves to ICE’s deportations. Some of those immigrants were probably Mr. Dunn’s ancestors, as his name is of either Irish, English or Scottish descent, means “brown” or dun-colored and is derived as a nickname meaning “dark colored.”
As for his assertion that acting immigration director Ken Cuccinelli speaks for most Americans when he calls for an end to immigration, I would remind him that the current occupant of the White House lost the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 3 million votes and that the Republican party was outvoted by nearly 8 million votes in 2018 in the mid-terms. Most Americans do not agree with Mr. Dunn’s side of the issue.
Possibly the most galling statement is his reference to “North Mexico.” The naked bigotry of that is appalling, especially when considering that none of us white folks are native to this continent. The Mexicans and Indigenous populations were here long before we came and stole it from them. We, white people, did not build this country. Black slaves, Chinese, indentured persons, and illegal immigrants built this country all while being subjugated by rich white folks. Not much has changed, apparently.
I have nothing to fear from being a minority. I plan to be on the correct side of this issue for as long as I live.
Mary Ellen Hardy
Everett
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