Lady Liberty: enlightening the world

THE United States will unveil a newly renovated Statue of Liberty on July 4. As the statue is in the process of physical renovation, we should reconsider the deeper meaning behind this grand symbol of the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty's official title is ``Liberty Englightening the World.'' When the French artist Fr'ed'eric Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to erect this memorial, it was to commemorate the alliance of 1778 between France and the United States. Bartholdi's statue depicts liberty in the form of a woman who has just won her freedom, her right hand holding a burning torch, her left a book of law inscribed ``July 4, 1776.'' At her feet lay broken shackles from which she has stepped forth to enlighten the world.

This representation of liberty is much more than a beacon welcoming those in search of freedom and happiness. It is a symbol of the liberty hard earned by the newly formed country of America. It tells the world: ``Yes! it is possible for mankind to have the freedom for which they so yearn.''

This new nation formed by brave men and women trusting their destinies to God have demonstrated the grand possibilities of this trust. This demonstration stands as a light to the world. It is not telling the world they need to come to these United States to experience this freedom. It is telling them that it is possible for them to experience this freedom and liberty right where they are living. The French must have realized this, for since the time of the presentation of the statue to the US, their people have also won many victories on the side of liberty, justice, and freedom in a more democratic form of government. This holds true for many other countries as well.

Let's all remember the true message of our Statue of Liberty, which is telling the world of the present possibilities for all men to live freely and peacefully.