>Subject: A Tribute to the United States
>
>This is from a Canadian newspaper.
>
>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 pour-
>ed 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 the 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 DC-10? 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 the
>Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk
>about the German technocracy, and you get automobiles.
>
>You talk about the 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 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 Americans who rebuilt
>them. When the Pennsylvania and the New York Central
>went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both
>are still broke.
>
>I can name you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to
>the help 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 am 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." Stand Proud America!


>This is one of the best editorials that I have ever
>read regarding the United States.
>It is nice that one man realizes it. I only wish that
>the rest of the world would realize
>it. We seemed to be blamed for everything and
>don't get a "Thank You" for the things we do. I would hope that
>each of you would send this to as many people as you
>can and emphasize that they should send it to as many of
>their friends until this letter is sent to every
>person on the web. I am just a single American that
>has read this, I SURE HOPE THAT A LOT MORE READ IT SOON.
>
>Makes you proud to live here doesn't it??
>
>THANKS,
>
>DAVID WAGNER, THE SENDER OF THIS MESSAGE
>__________________________________________________
>Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
>Donate cash, emergency relief information
>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/
>

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 253-879-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 253-879-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html