"O give me your tired, your poor ...."

As the U.S. presidential race heats up to a fever pitch, more and more voters are seizing the opportunity to vent their frustration as to the nature of politics. Some are also saying that the U.S. is “past its prime” . . . that just as ancient Rome fell into irreparable turmoil and decay, so too, the U.S. is following suit.

But before too many people jump on that bandwagon, perhaps one might keep in mind that even with all of its warts and faults, the United States still offers a vision of hope and promise for the world’s suffering.

Not long ago, I met a student whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Liberia (West Africa). After the student and I got to know each other, he shared with me how -- when he was a small boy -- his parents had hidden him away in a box and packed the box in their car as they drove down dirt roads and through bombed out cities as they escaped the carnage and horror of Liberia’s civil war. Eventually, they were able to find their way on to a cargo ship that brought them to get to the U.S. Now, the young boy is a college student here in America -- studying to be a doctor.

As grim tales of cannibalism and brutality of West Africa's civil wars emerge at the war crimes trial now underway for former Liberian President Charles Taylor, one can hardly imagine the fear that must have gripped thousands of people like my young friend’s parents. Despite its faults and misgivings, America offered them a haven of safety and security. And these many years later, my friend, his parents and many more like them are quite happy to now call the United States their home -- and themselves Americans.