Arthur C. Brooks shared his advice at a recent commencement address concerning how to help make America better– starting today. He suggested that in order to steer away from the contempt that seems to be defining our current political climate, we need to strive to heal with love and kindness. His remarks reminded me of the contrasting images in Emma Lazarus’ famous poem which was […]
A Mother in Zion
Lydia Mary Ballard Goodsell Catt wanted to go to America. She wanted to go to Zion. In this case, the Utah Territory. She wanted to dwell with the Saints–the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church she had joined many years earlier. Her youngest son, Alfred, had already emigrated from England in 1864 when he was 13. Some of her […]
Dear America–a Book Review
Is he an Activist with an Agenda? Or an Undocumented Immigrant attempting to Educate? You decide . . . Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pullitzer Prize winning journalist, chose to out himself as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in the New York Times Magazine on June 22, 2011. Since that day, he has spent much of his time and energy striving to share with […]
Unwavering
You wait in the harbor for them to arrive But few arrive anymore—at least not there Instead they form orderly lines at airplane terminals Present themselves at border crossings Apply for asylum at our embassies across the world And though some still do disembark at your harbor, or others, Many times you are not there, in person Still— Your spirit greets them Your image assails […]
Lady Liberty needs your Vote
Tomorrow is election day. Get out and vote. Our country is only strong if we are ALL represented, so you need to make your voice heard. Make the effort to get to the polls. Take time today to study your ballot and be an educated voter. Choose to vote for candidates who support Lady Liberty and what she represents. Choose to vote for candidates who […]
An American Refugee
Daisie Stout was born August 23, 1884 in Rockville, Utah. She was a natural born United States citizen and yet before she reached even the middle of her life, she had been a refugee. She had lived in a government issued tent working tirelessly to barely subsist in order to keep herself and her family safe and fed. Daisie grew up in Utah, but then […]
Wretched Refuse
This past weekend I traveled to New Bern, North Carolina to help with the Hurricane Florence clean up. We arrived early Saturday morning at the command center. It was staffed with local residents who were grateful for our help and eager to provide assistance. It was stocked with mounds of donated equipment designed to help ensure us a safe and productive weekend as we offered […]
Spend the Weekend with your Immigrant Ancestors
Did you know that 40% of all Americans have at least one ancestor who arrived in America between the years of 1857 and 1920 and was processed through Ellis Island or one of the other New York ports? The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation has a free digitized database of all the relevant ship manifests from that time period. You can go online, […]
The Immigration Crisis–One Student’s View
I don’t particularly enjoy today’s politics. Everyone seems to be so full of hate for other individuals who simply identify more with a differently labelled set of beliefs. Political discussions become aimless arguments as two opposing sides throw their unshaking beliefs at each other while being too hard-headed to even acknowledge the potential validity of their “opponent’s” argument. And out of what? Pride? Pride for […]
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