Received the following message today from a friend and thought it well worth posting on G&G.
Ox
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We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA. Read this excerpt
from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published
under the title "C"ntarea Americii" meaning "Ode To America" on September 24, 2002 in the
Romanian newspaper, Evenimentul zilei ("The Daily Event" or "News of the Day").
~An Ode to America~ (RE: 9/11)
Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them
all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of
civilizations and religious beliefs.
Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart.
Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the secret services that they are
only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out
onto the streets nearby to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to
give a helping hand.
After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts,
caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in
every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing.
On every occasion they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!"
I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours, listening to the story of the guy
who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she
was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and
prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands
of people.
How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being?
Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern
myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in
a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.
What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history?
Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and
murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace.
I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion...
I sometimes work with Romanians, and they might become the greatest allies we have in Europe. It was not long ago that they overthrew and executed Ceaucescu and his evil family. They did not wait for the US or anybody else to liberate them. All they needed was for the USSR to stop protecting him. Reagan took care of that, and the Romanians have good memories.
Also, their respect of America only improved once they discovered that the commies had totally rewritten their history books and discovered what really happened in WW1 and WW2.
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"Gee, Wally,
Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"
Its amazing how Eastern Europe is only now learning the truth about WWI&II and have a real appreciation for the blood, sweat, capital, and tears the US shed from 1941 to present in the long liberation of the communist block. Strange to see how the "free" nations of Europe are rewriting history so as to downplay or ignore their own failings and the efforts of the US. Makes you wonder what direction they are headed.
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Liberty is for those that claim it.
From a Romanian newspaper... 
