A Romanian Editorial

[RFleischman]

Editorial from a Romanian Newspaper


We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the


>USA.


> >


> >Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written


>by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title "C"ntarea


>Americii, meaning "Ode To America" on September 24, 2002, in the


>Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei ("The Daily Event" or "News of the


>Day").


> >


> >~An Ode to America~


> >


> >Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even


>if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the


>world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious


>beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million


>people into a hand put on the heart.


> >


> >Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the secret


>services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty


>their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape


>about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping


> >hand.


> >


> >After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the


>smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the


>national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every


>place and on every car a government official or the president was


>passing.


> >


> >On every occasion, they started singing their traditional song: "God


>Bless America"! I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for


>hours, listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred


>floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of


>the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the


>terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have


>killed other hundreds or thousands of people.


> >


> >How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being?


>Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some


>turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call,


>millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at


>rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.


> >


> >What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land?


>Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for


>hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the


>risk of sounding commonplace.


> >


> >I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion...only freedom


>can work such miracles.


> >


> >Cornel Nistorescu


> >