Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
A French politician spoke to the European Parliament with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Raphaël Glucksman facetiously said, “ Give us back the Statue of Liberty,” suggesting that the U.S. no longer lives up to the values that are ascribed to the statue and its symbolism. His comments garnered cheers from the crowd. He followed up by saying “We gave it to you as a gift, but you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”
Lady Liberty, the full name “Liberty Enlightening the World”, was first sketched out by the anti-slavery activist Édouard de Laboulaye in 1865. The statue was then built as a way to honor the friendship between the two nations that dates back to the American Revolution. The statue was unveiled in 1886 in New York Harbor and marked Ellis Island. The statue has endured as a symbol of patriotism and democracy. Glucksman’s comments emphasize that many nations outside of the U.S. have seen a moral reversal under the new Trump administration.
