Bloomberg's "ground zero" speech
It's a really good speech -
"We've come here to Governors Island to stand where the earliest settlers first set foot in New Amsterdam, and where the seeds of religious tolerance were first planted. We come here to see the inspiring symbol of liberty that more than 250 years later would greet millions of immigrants in this harbor. And we come here to state as strongly as ever, this is the freest city in the world. That's what makes New York special and different and strong."
Full text and the article here.
I wanted to talk a little bit about this, or rather, what all this brings up for me. Country, tradition, stuff like that. I'm a liberal and that's a joke to some folks - it's a standard idea in our country of late that there's something strong and free about worshiping militaristic authority figures and the harsh laws they pass. I think the opposite. I think people become conservatives because they feel sheltered when they are told what to do, and people carry on about 'self reliance' as an excuse for not helping others because they feel impoverished and are afraid of being forced to give up what little they have. I come from a large, conservative, and mostly poor family, so while I am simplifying, I'm not just guessing here. They make themselves small by forgetting they are part of something bigger. They shouldn't be allowed to make the rest of us small as well.
The first person in my family to settle here came over in 1620, the most recent in 1841. They were willing to leave everything they knew to come to an unknown, hostile land... and steal it. Think about it - that's not something financially secure, socially respectable (or even well adjusted) people do. They were adventurers, economic opportunists, fringe religionists, and criminals. That's our heritage, and not a unique one either. I wonder if that's part of why we're so afraid of current immigrants?
I love this country deeply and passionately. And a huge part of what I love about it are the ideas - that marvelous blend of idealism and pragmatism that marks our foundational documents and speeches. It hurts and infuriates me to see those ideas under attack. And things like the current debates over the 'ground zero mosque' and immigration are full frontal attacks on the things I love.
We give, or at least are legally supposed to give, equal standing, protection, and opportunity to everyone, regardless of who they are. We haven't always lived up to the ideal but it's always been there, and trying to live up to it teaches us to be better. We aren't a small beleaguered village afraid of everybody else. We are a great county, whose strength is founded on the recognition of deep and universal principles. "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal". That's why illegal immigrants have the same rights as everybody else. That's why we don't judge an entire religion by the actions of a few people. That's why Gitmo is an abomination. That's why we don't have an official language or an official religion. That's why we don't have to carry documents telling the police who we are - because we are free people by unalienable right, not by the 'permission' of authority.
We give the same rights to citizens and non citizens because those rights are so dear to us we don't degrade them by limiting them. I despise people who want to throw these rights away. I mean that. They are putting small dislikes and fear above strength and nobility. We throw our rights away when we try to keep them for ourselves but deny them to others. Or worse, treat our sacred rights like luxuries we can’t afford. They should die of shame.
I'm fine with people who live, or want to live, elsewhere. The world is large and interesting and I'm speaking of human worth and equality under the law, not nationalism. And no, I don't think we're better than everybody else, or have the best standard of living, or even decent health care. I know we don't. But if we actually acted as if we believed that people matter, that their worth is innate, that freedom and individual rights are unalienable, we'd be much better off. All of us.