They were advised not to budge. Word spread throughout the world like brushfire. People flocked to America. When they arrived, they saw that not only were the roads not paved in gold, they weren't paved at all and they were expected to pave them. And the tradition has followed to this day.
American citizens love their immigrant-picked fruit, and they love that statue.
It stands for everything American. I think it has less to do with it being a declaration of American altruism, though, and more to do with Lady Liberty being the most profitable want-ad in human history. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator. All rights reserved. No portion of The Alligator Online may be reproduced without the written consent of an officer of Campus Communications, Inc.