In 1886, France gifted a dazzling statue to the United States as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. The statue, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, depicts a colossal woman, over 300 feet tall, raising a torch high above her head in one hand, the other holding a tablet at her side with the inscribed date of the Declaration of Independence. A broken chain and shackles lay at her bare feet, symbolizing the end of slavery in the United States. She was made of copper, which has given her a turquoise-green color over the years due to weathering. Today, she stands at the center of Liberty island in the New York Harbor.

The idea behind the statue, sometimes called “Lady Liberty,” was to show freedom and hope. She welcomed immigrants arriving in America at the turn of the century, reminding them that they were entering a land of opportunity and new beginnings. But with everything that's happening right now in the United States, it is apparent that the current administration does not respect or appreciate the idea of freedom that this iconic gift from our  friends represents. They have made it perfectly clear that they can do just fine without the old alliances. The vigorous regime of ICE crackdowns stand in stark contrast with the warm welcome Lady Liberty had granted foreign migrants upon arriving to New York. The talk of slavery is being restricted in schools, and students are forbidden to ask what the chain and shackles at her feet represent. If she was gifted to America today, the president would likely criticize the fact that she would discolor over time, citing “shoddy craftsmanship” on the part of Msr. Bartholdi.

Therefore, I am asking today, to sign this petition to return the Statue of Liberty to the people who gave her to us, because the United States of America is unworthy of such a magnificent gift. I realize that she is not mine to give, but she is not the exclusive property of the United States government either. Lady Liberty belongs to all Americans, and with enough signatures, we can prove that we, as a country, have lost our way, and are unworthy display her as a a symbol of all she represents. Perhaps returning the Statue of Liberty to France will be a wakeup call for this administration, as a reminder that democracy is not a toy.

With enough signatures, a Gofundme link will be made available. If you wish to make a financial contribution, all donations will be put towards shipping and handling, because it is painfully obvious that the federal government will not foot the bill for transportation.