Liberty & Justice for All.

On a grey winter’s day, we decided to venture out onto the waters of New York Harbor and visit Lady Liberty to see what’s up. It’s always fun playing tourist in NYC and it was cool to be up close to the Statue of Liberty when I am so used to seeing her from such a distance. I last visited Liberty Island in 2008 and since then a lot has happened in the world which made me look at this experience through a new lens.

In 1886 the Statue of Liberty was gifted from France to the United States as a representation of the two countries’ alliance, to commemorate the abolition of slavery and a representation of the democracy America offers its citizens. In its early years, the statue become a symbol of opportunity in this country - the towering figure of Lady Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they arrived into the harbor, a beacon of hope for their new lives.

Living in the US for the past few years I have witnessed and learned a lot about the issues of inequality that still plague many people in this country - systemic racism, antisemitism, gender, and socioeconomic inequality have all been very active topics over the past few years. So this time my visit got me thinking - did the freedom, justice, and liberty for all that this statue represented actually exist in this country? I am far from an expert, but as I learn and educate myself more about these issues, it really makes me think…