[Beef]

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



This excerpt is from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was
written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title
"C"ntarea Americii, meaning "Ode To America") in the Romanian
newspaper Evenimentulzilei



"The Daily Event" or "News of the Day".
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''



~An Ode toAmerica~



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