In light of a recent discussion on this board, I thought this particular email I received was rather timely.

Far be it from me to be a "flag-waver", but even I, a *Dreaded Evil Liberal*, stand proud as an American.

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Tribute to the United States
This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.
(PS Note: I do not have a linked reference; sorry.)

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television Commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but several times - and safely home again. You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope "Canada is not one of those."

PS Notes: There are one or two factual errors here; we did, in fact, have "outside help" during the fires this summer (Canada and Mexico, I think, sent teams of firefighters). And I further recall Canada pitching in during the SF earthquake.

Still, it doesn't detract from what this man is saying. While I agree there are many wrongs and ills here "at home", it sometimes pains me that such wrongs and ills virtually always overshadow all the good that we do around the world and yes, here at home. It pains me that idiot politicians -- OF ALL STRIPES -- garner headlines while good deeds of all kinds go unnoticed, never mind unreported.

Perhaps THAT'S the "system" that we have to change.

Peace.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Answers

Addendum: This may be a lot older than I thought. Will try to find a reference.

Heh, it's probably going to turn out to be an urban legend -- LOL.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Patricia--

Not an urban ledgend but written at the time of the VietNam War, I believe.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

That's it, Pam. I just found the reference; thanks. Odd how these things "go around" and then "come around".

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Trish,

It was in the late 70's. Sinclair recorded that monologue over some patriotic music and released it as a 45 single. Our radio station played it as did many others. We got a lot of requests for it. :)

You can still find copies of the 45s in used record houses and flea markets. They might even be worth some money now.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

"The Americans" -- The Original Script

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

You have to wonder if they still feel this way..........

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

I am a cynical dick mostly, but I still feel this way, or that way, whatever.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Hi - the speech is currently making the rounds of the internet in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks, and I was searching Google for the source when I came upon this board - and the comment about the 45 made me suddenly realize - I HAVE the darned thing! Have had it since I was a kid! It was near the bottom of my stack of 45s in my "Tote 45" (remember them?)

The record is Copyright 1973, and was released by Westbound Records, Inc. in Detroit, Michigan. One side is an instrumental of "America the Beautiful", played by "The Westbound Strings". The other side is titled "Americans", credited to Gordon Sinclair and actually spoken by Byron Mac Gregor, with the same instrumental of "America the Beautiful" in the background.

Other identifying marks, if you're looking for it, or are just a completist collector sort who likes to have all details however small:

The label is very stylized, and consists of light, sandy orange-yellow and greenish-blue bands with jupiter-red-spot-like swirls in them, tapering onto the left side into a red-and-black striped arrow containing the Westbound logo. Around the tapered areas are blue sections with wavy concentric white stripes, describing the edge of the other pattern. Basically a very stylized land-and-sea motif, with the land tapering into an arrow pointing towards the left (i.e. "westbound").

Produced by Peter Scheurmier. "Americans" catalog # - W-3271, "America the Beautiful catalog # - W-3272. The 45s catalog number in general - W 222. Running time, both sides is 3:48. Distributed by Janus Record N.Y. N.Y.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2001