SUBJECT: Romanian News Article

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 "Ode To America" in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei ("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

Every week I talk to a woman that grew up in Romania. She tells me how beautiful and simple life is there, and how "old fasioned" it is. Women don't usually work. Their job is to cook and clean and make their husband/children happy. She said she loved it, even though it was a communist country.

She also said that EVERYONE there LOVES Americans. People there are amazed with our culture and our freedom to do/say whatever we want. Since she's moved to America, she's understood freedom. Since she's experienced communism, she has something to compare the United States to - and she absolutely loves it.

She thought she was happy there, where she never had to work or do anything... now she's studying to become a medical doctor and she says it's the most rewarding thing in the world.

I used to think that almost every foreigner hates the United States... almost like how every US citizen hates Canadians. I've come to realize this is far from the truth.

hear hear

I must admit that most of what we hear comming from other countries is bad news or worse....this little article has brightened my day....I salute you Cornel Nistorescu!

I talked to a couple of Romanians all the time, they're nice folk and do indeed love America. But there are alot of other small, European countries that, regarding the majority, hate America.

Opinions vary.

I was born in another country the United Kingdom. And most of my friends are from England i do have a couple of friends from the US. My girlfriend is from another country Japan. What a great country i live in.

Wow, Metalgod. Bandito and I have both decided that asian women are stupid and evil and we will never have 'em again.

I r teh hate asian bitches.