REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR RICHARD W. ERDMAN
AT U.S. INDEPENDENCE DAY RECEPTION 
July 3, 2006

Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished guests, colleagues and dear friends:

My wife, Sibyl, and I thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate the 230th anniversary the independence of the United States of America.  For Americans, July 4th is a time to celebrate the things that have made our country what it is today.  We celebrate our democracy, as enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  We celebrate our diversity and tolerance, as a land that welcomes immigrants from different lands and many faiths.   And we celebrate our achievements, made possible by the creativity, dynamism, and dreams of individuals living in a free society.

At the same time, we celebrate in a spirit of humility as well as pride.  For we know that democracy is not about perfection.  On the contrary, it is about the imperfection of man and society.  Democracy is the most just, most realistic, and most effective form of governance precisely because it corresponds to this dual nature of man.  That is to say, man’s capacity for good requires liberty so that he can dream, think, create, express, and invent.  And man’s capacity for evil requires limits on power – by establishing the rule of law, separation of powers, independent justice, and guarantees for the freedom of expression and press. 

We also know that the defense and promotion of democratic values is the work of each generation and that each country has to find its own way toward democracy.   For example, we needed almost a century to put an end to slavery and another century to end racial and sexual discrimination.  We needed decades more to defeat the threats to democracy from fascism and communism.  And today we have to confront terrorism, which threatens our values and requires a long-term collective effort from all of us to address the roots of this scourge.  As we have recently seen with the decisions of our Supreme Court, in waging this struggle, we must always seek the right balance between our obligations to protect our citizens and our obligations to protect our constitutional values and structures. 

In this continuing struggle for democracy, we are side by side those who are working to expand and strengthen liberty and justice – in America, in Algeria, and elsewhere.

This evening we celebrate as well the new relations that our two countries and people are building together.  In this regard, it is fitting that our national holidays are celebrated side by side, on July 4 and July 5.   For history, events, converging interests, and a shared love for hard-won liberty and independence are drawing us together.   Side by side, we are supporting the efforts of Algeria to find its own path toward democracy, a market economy, and a better life for all its citizens.  Side by side, we are waging a common struggle against the scourge of terrorism.  And side by side, we are seeking to advance regional cooperation and a world that is more peaceful, more democratic, and more prosperous.

We are delighted to have with us this evening “Old Gray Goose International” – an American folklore group that plays the traditional music of our country.  We thank our American corporate sponsors -- Anadarko, Bechtel, Citibank, Coca Cola, Conoco-Phillips, Fedex, Hess, Nabors Drilling International, Northrup Grumman, Parker Drilling, and Pfizer – for their generous contributions that made this musical reception possible.

Once again, my wife Sibyl and I thank you for being with us this evening.  On a personal note,  this is for us an especially emotional moment because, as many of you know, we will soon be leaving Algeria.  We leave Algeria enriched by our experiences in this beautiful country, by the friendships we have made, and by the work we have done together to strengthen our relations.  For all this and more, I would like to take this opportunity to express – one last time – our affection, our esteem, and our thanks to the Algerian people for the warm welcome they have extended to us.

Thank you.  Happy Fourth of July!  Happy Fifth of July!  And Bonne Soiree to everyone!