2009 Speeches, Interviews, and Documents
4th of July 2009
Address by Chargé d’Affaires Bradley Freden
President of the National Assembly, Dr. Pavel Gantar; Ministers; Members of Parliament; Ambassadors; honored guests, friends and colleagues. Dober dan in dobrodosli. Welcome to the celebration of the 233rd anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. As many of you know, 4th of July celebrations in the U.S. are accompanied by parades, music, fireworks, outdoor barbecues, and neighborhood gatherings. It is a relaxed, summer holiday that we share with friends and family. It is therefore fitting that so many of our friends are here with us today. It will be even more fitting when I stop talking. But please bear with me for just a few minutes.
Let me start by thanking our sponsors; we could not do this without you. I would also like to wish Slovenia a belated Happy 18th Birthday. When I compare where we were 18 years after our independence to where you are today, I must say that you have much to be proud of. And I hope you will forgive me as I offer one more birthday greeting – to my daughter Natalia – who is six years old today.
Today we celebrate not just our freedom, but the ideals contained in our Declaration of Independence: that all people are created equal, that each one is endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Whenever I hear these words, I am reminded of what Ben Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers, said in response: “The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness, you have to catch it yourself !”
Franklin recognized that America was not just a place on the map. It is an ideal that we strive for. It is an ideal that allows the son of an African immigrant to rise to the highest office in the land. It is an ideal that allows a university dropout to develop software used in the majority of the world’s personal computers. And it is an ideal that has fostered the growth of one of the most vibrant multi-cultural societies in the world.
I would be among the first to admit that we do not always live up to this ideal. “At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.” These words are President Obama’s, so I am not breaking any new ground by saying this publicly. Yet I would submit that it is this struggle to fulfill our ideals, to strive for a more perfect union, as the preamble to our Constitution says, that defines Americans. As the French writer Albert Camus said, “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”
Europe and America are becoming better, thanks in part to our partnership. This partnership is nothing new; it has been on display to a greater or lesser extent for almost as long as anyone here has been alive. Recently, we have seen a renewed effort by Europe and America to work together to address a variety of issues, from climate change to the global economic crisis, pandemic influenza to nuclear non-proliferation, Afghanistan to the future of the western Balkans. That this is the case has much to do with our common interests, but it has even more to do with our shared ideals.
The same can be said of the relationship between Slovenia and the United States -- we are united by common values that transcend politics. It doesn’t matter whether there is a Republican administration in Washington or a Democratic one, just as it doesn’t matter which coalition of parties has a majority in the Slovenian National Assembly. It doesn’t matter that we have differing views on some issues. That is only natural. We are and will remain friends and allies.
I heard a lot about this remarkable country before I even got here. The view I had when I stepped off the plane was that of a reliable ally, a good friend of the United States, a country that cares deeply about this region and about the wider world. Once I got here, I realized that there was much more to the so-called “bilateral relationship” – in the economic sphere, military relations, the academic world, the NGO community, and, of course, in cultural life. I recognize many people here from those sectors, and I thank you for coming. Behind the issues, the progress and the partnership are always the individuals. Individuals like you and me, working together, trying to do the right thing. It is an honor and a pleasure to collaborate with you, and to call many of you my friends.
There are plenty of examples of collaboration between individual Americans and Slovenians, but in closing, let me point to just one. We are fortunate to have with us tonight two outstanding musicians who personify the spirit of creative partnership between individuals from our two countries: Vlado Kreslin and Chris Eckman. I consider them both as friends, so I asked them if they would play one song for us tonight. They kindly agreed, so without further ado, I give you Vlado Kreslin and Chris Eckman.
I hope you enjoy the evening.