Emma Lazarus; 1883

I was born in Egypt, January 9 th 1949. My mother was of Syrian descent and also born
in Egypt. My father emigrated from Poland to Egypt via Israel sometime in the mid 1920’s.

In 1949, Egypt was ruled by King Farouk I who ruled until his abdication in 1952. He
was overthrown in a military coup which saw Gamal Abdel Nasser rise to power.
Nasser’s arrival brought with it a period of turbulence, both political and social. His
campaign of Arabization created an oppressive atmosphere for the country’s Jews. The
year 1956 saw almost half of Egypt’s Jewish population flee the country for Israel,
Europe, the United States, and South America.

With help from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, my family was fortunate enough to
be able to immigrate to America. I was 7 years old when in late November 1956 my
mother, two older sisters and I boarded the MS Saturnia on our way to New York. We
were each allowed 20 Egyptian pounds along with one suitcase and personal affects. I
knew nothing of the new world that awaited me.

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I can still remember seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time as our boat headed
toward the Port of New York. We were in awe- we had arrived at the “shining city on a
hill”- a phrase taken from John Winthrop’s1630 sermon, which President Reagan built
into the idea of American Exceptionalism. Reagan explained “that there was some
divine plan that placed this great continent between two oceans to be sought out by
those who were possessed of an abiding love of freedom and a special kind of
courage.”

Upon arrival, I quickly adapted and came to love life in America. I was fortunate at the
time to experience an America that no longer exists today. A time when we didn’t lock
our doors, when it was common to run over to your neighbors to borrow a cup of sugar
or a few eggs if you didn’t have any on hand. Hot lunches at school were the norm,
after school sewing and baking classes were available and served as an assist to child
care for families in need. Boundless opportunities to learn and grow.

Today, I see our Nation under attack. A deliberate effort to dismantle our representative
form of government by a greedy, corrupt administration aided by a spineless Republican
- led Congress and a few select mega - wealthy individuals.

That shining light is being smothered. It breaks my heart. I not only love this adopted
country of mine, but truly believe it is a divine country built on values that
endure…values which bend “the arc of the moral universe” towards justice and peace
for all.

I am 76 years old now and struggling to find a way to let my voice be heard in defense
of the America I hold so dear. To that end, my wife and I designed this logo to show our
support for the country we love. It is a simple act of dissent to wear this logo. The power
of ordinary people becomes a visible force when we wear a symbol of our opposition
that says we want to take back our beautiful Stars & Stripes. The American flag belongs
to “We the People”, not one group who supports an authoritarian that has hopes of
declaring himself the king and ruler of this great nation.
 
I hope you agree and will wear this symbol to voice your opposition to the destruction of
our American values and our Shining City on the Hill. The power to defend and save our
Republic is in the hands of “We The People”. That means every single one of us. 
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PLEASE JOIN US.

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Irving