Give me your tired, your poor

Regarding “GOP leaders seek pause, changes in Syrian refugee program,” (Nov. 17 in Tne Olympian):

Remember this? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” It is written on the Statue of Liberty on Staten Island, N.Y.

Remember this? “Do not oppress the immigrant, the stranger, for you have the heart of a stranger: you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” It is written in the Bible, Exodus 23:9.

Oh, American, how we have turned away from our own heart! I am ashamed that this nation is so filled with bigotry, xenophobia and fear, that we cannot welcome those to our shores who are the very mirror of our forefathers.

We can do better than this.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Give me your tired, your poor."