By Alexander A. Arvizu
It was several months ago – a little over seven, in fact – when many of us gathered together the morning of November 28 in the coastal gem of Vlora. All of us – the Albanians among you, of course, but also the non-Albanians among us – beamed with pride and joy at the glorious commemoration of Albania’s 100th year of independence.
This may not be our centennial year, but every Independence Day celebration is important, and each one fills every American with patriotism and pride.
Our Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, had this to say recently: “July 4th is Ů a time for Americans to reflect on the founding of our country 237 years ago. While our Declaration of Independence is the most American of documents, and while we proudly associate ourselves with the promises of equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in truth, those ideals are not uniquely American. These rights actually belong to everyone on earth. These are values we all share, and they represent the aspirations of people the world over.”
Just over two weeks ago, tens of thousands of Albanians went to the polls to cast their votes for their elected leaders. Make no mistake: this was a watershed election, easily the most significant in Albania’s modern political history. But why?
The resoundingly clear signal and unmistakable message from the Albanian people was this simple fact: they are prepared to take responsibility for the future direction of their country נand it is they who will decide. They have made clear their conviction that Albania’s future belongs as an integral part of Europe. And that integration path will come about much more quickly through inclusivity, not through divisiveness. Any politician, any political party that chooses to ignore this basic fact does so at their own peril.
President Obama once said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
It will be my honor to personally observe the seating of the new Parliament when it convenes in early September. Let me close my remarks this evening with a quote from the most famous President of all to the Albanian people, Mr. Woodrow Wilson. He made it on July 4, 1914, ninety-nine years ago, in reference to the original Declaration of Independence:
“Liberty does not consist, my fellow citizens, in mere general declarations of the rights of man. It consists in the translation of those declarations into definite actionŠ The task to which we have constantly to readdress ourselves is the task of proving that we are worthy of the men who drew this great declaration and know what they would have done in our circumstances.”
We have been blessed with the most beautiful weather imaginable. God bless all of you, God bless Albania, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.
This is an abbreviated version of the remarks by U.S. Ambassador Alexander A. Arvizu on the 237th Fourth of July Anniversary Reception in Tirana (July 9, 2013).
