2007 Speeches
231st Anniversary of U.S. Independence Celebration
Jully 4, 2007
231 years ago, 56 men came together in support of a declaration of independence. In their declaration, they stated: "with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
Who were these 56 men? They were men of means and education – lawyers, jurists, merchants, and farmers. They lived lives of relative comfort, yet they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well they could face death for their action. Many of them paid dearly for their signatures.
Five signers were executed as traitors. Twelve had their homes destroyed. Nine of the 56 fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Several were bankrupted.
Why would these men risk their comfortable lives and everything they owned? They did so because they valued freedom more than comfort and privilege. They did so because they believed in the cause of building a new nation - where citizens could enjoy inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, where citizens would be free to pursue their individual and collective dreams. The United States is often referred to as the Land of Opportunity, because we Americans believe that through honesty, hard work, initiative, and adherence to the rule of law, every individual can best fulfill his or her dreams. I believe Liberia is also becoming a land of opportunity where Liberians can fulfill their dreams through honest hard work and adherence to the rule of law.
The United States is also often described as a melting pot, a country where persons of different backgrounds and religions have come together to share a common destiny. Fulfilling one's dreams is not just for the rich or the well-educated. Many Americans today owe their citizenship and their success to parents, grand parents and great grand parents who immigrated to the United States from all over the world. Most of those immigrants arrived on American shores with nothing but their dreams. They were honest people, willing to work incredibly hard, knowing full well that nothing would be given to them. They had to be resourceful in building a new life. They were people who would not let adversity stand in their way. They recognized the importance of education and sent their children to school. Indeed, education has been the most powerful tool for creating a unique national consciousness embraced by persons of very different backgrounds.
Liberia is also a melting pot of people from diverse ethnic origins, with different cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs. And, like Americans, Liberians are determined to overcome the adversity of years of conflict and to come together to build a new Liberia. As in America, education will be the most powerful and effective tool for overcoming past differences and forging a cohesive new national identity.
American history is full of times of adversity and uncertainty. We had a civil war that claimed over 600,000 American lives. We persevered through a Cold War that threatened nuclear destruction. The 21st century finds us engaged in a global struggle against terrorism. Each of these challenges forced Americans to adapt and explore an uncharted future, but we have remained true to our faith in the importance of individual freedom and initiative. We do not rely on government to solve all our problems. Americans volunteer in schools, hospitals, churches, and other organizations to make their communities stronger and to help those less fortunate among us. We have faith in the ability of the individual to make a critical difference and we have a sense of social responsibility that underpins our lives and our expectations.
Liberia has had more than its fair share of adversity, but working together, Liberians have made great progress in overcoming adversity. Enormous positive changes are taking place in Liberia. Only 20 months ago Liberians went to the polls and democratically elected a new government. Electricity and water have been brought back to parts of Monrovia. Ever more children are enrolled in school. Liberia has regained its rightful place in regional and multilateral organizations. Sanctions have been lifted thus creating opportunity – and, soon, jobs – in the forestry and mining sectors. Private investors, Liberian and foreign, are returning.
Still, some say little has changed and there is nothing they can do to improve their own lives. Robert Kennedy, brother of President John F. Kennedy, spoke of the danger of the self-defeating belief that there is nothing one person can do to correct misery, ignorance and injustice. He said, "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future." That is why it is so important that hundreds of thousands of Liberian men, women and children are working and studying every day, helping each other and making Liberia a stronger and more prosperous nation. They are resourceful and they understand they cannot wait for something to be given to them or done for them; they are making their own future.
Madame President, the United States and Liberia have enjoyed a long and close relationship. Today I would like to highlight two projects that reflect our mutual desire to sustain and strengthen that relationship:
- The first is the opening of the American International School of Monrovia in September of this year. The American International School will offer an American curriculum education and is open to children of all nationalities. We believe it will help attract Liberians and foreigners to come and invest in Liberia's future. We thank the Liberian Government for its strong support in making this school a reality.
- The second is the construction of a new American Embassy. The decision to proceed with this project reflects our confidence in Liberia's future. Again, I thank the Government of Liberia for its support of this major project.
Madame President, the U.S. - Liberian relationship is much more than a shared history. It is the values that Liberia and the United States share that will continue to ensure that our relationship remains special in the years to come.
Today, the 231st anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, we celebrate those values which enable men and women to freely pursue their dreams. In the words of Robert Kennedy, "Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."
Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in a toast: "To the President and People of Liberia, and to their success in the pursuit of their dreams."