America: The Good Neighbor.

[Guest guest]

I know this group is suppose to stay on topic, so let me apologize in

advance for getting off topic this one time. I received this

extraordinary e-mail and had to share it with you. It made me smile

and it made me cry. I'm sure you will feel the same way when you

read it.

This, from a Canadian newspaper, no less, is worth sharing.

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 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. "

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 are always blamed for

everything, and never even get a thank you for the things we do.

Maybe each of you can send this to at least one person and they might

send it to one of their friends until this letter is sent to every

person on the web.