2006 press releases
Ambassador Celebrates 4th of July with Lunch in Honor of Lebanese and American Parliamentarians
July 5, 2006In celebration of the 230th anniversary of American independence, U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman hosted a lunch in honor of Lebanese and American Parliamentarians, at his residence in Awkar, July 4, 2006. The lunch included representatives from the House Democracy Assistance Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives who are in Beirut for a two-day working visit, July 3-4. The Members of Congress met with Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on July 3. They also participated in workshops with members of the Lebanese Parliament on topics such as budget and finance oversight and rule of law.
In remarks before the July 4th lunch, Ambassador Feltman told the 40 invitees: “Independence Day offers Americans time to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to secure the freedoms and democracy we prize so dearly. As our Founding Fathers pledged on July 4th 1776, to work with each other to realize their vision for a newly created United States of America, so too do we pledge our support to the Lebanese people as they seek to secure an independent, sovereign, prosperous, democratic and united Lebanon. We know from our own historic experience how difficult it can be to define common goals, build a national consensus and establish a democracy. But you are not alone in your struggle. In celebrating our American independence today, July 4th, we celebrate also the partnership of our two diverse and democratic countries—Lebanon and the United States. The strong ties that bind all of us here today connect also our two countries, now and in the future.”
Ambassador Feltman told the lunch guests that in honor of American independence he had distributed on July 2, USAID funding totaling more than $2.7 million dollars to four American educational institutions in Lebanon and to four Lebanese organizations whose activities embody the U.S. commitment to Lebanon’s future.
He said, “USAID funding is a gift from the American people and the checks I presented on Sunday are a reminder to our Lebanese friends that the words of our Declaration of Independence still have meaning for us. The right of each man, woman and child to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ rings as true today as it did on July 4, 1776. Our gift through USAID ensures that the blessings of liberty we’ve been so fortunate to enjoy will be shared with others as well.”
Ambassador Feltman explained the significance of July 4th and the struggle of the Americans to forge their own national identity:
“On July 4th we celebrate a seminal event that took place 230 years ago. On a hot, humid July 4th much like today a brave group of men in Philadelphia put their names to a document declaring the United States of America a free and independent nation. But it took more than a stroke of a pen to transform 13 colonies into one strong, prosperous and united country. Thus, the importance of July 4th 1776 was not the birth of a perfect union, but rather the promise made by 56 men of diverse backgrounds and beliefs to unite for a common goal—a sovereign, independent and democratic United States of America
As those who know American history recognize, the signers of the Declaration of Independence were a diverse group of men. Although most were born in America—some were even sons and grandsons of the first Americans colonists—they more frequently defined themselves as a Quaker from Philadelphia, a merchant from Boston, a Catholic from Maryland, a plantation owner from South Carolina or a tobacco farmer from Virginia. And as I have explained to my Lebanese friends before, it was, in fact, the struggle of the Americans to define their relationship to a central government that caused the failure of the Americans’ first attempt to design a new government—the Articles of Confederation. Ratification of the U.S. Constitution wasn’t accomplished until 17 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence — time during which the American identity was forged.
Independence Day offers Americans time to reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to secure the freedoms and democracy we prize so dearly. As our Founding Fathers pledged on July 4th 1776, to work with each other to realize their vision for a newly created United States of America, so too do we pledge our support to the Lebanese people as they seek to secure an independent, sovereign, prosperous, democratic and united Lebanon. We know from our own historic experience how difficult it can be to define common goals, build a national consensus and establish a democracy.”