Address of Ambassador Roberston for Independence Day reception

Ljubljana, Slovenia
July 5th, 2005

Dear Excellences, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, friends:  Antoinette and I and our Embassy team wish to thank you for joining us tonight in celebration of American independence.

On July 4, 1776 56 brave men signed their names to the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson.  His powerful words established the principle that governments derive their power from the people and not the other way around.

While his ideas were radical, they were not new, with roots in Greek and French philosophy.  And, as our Slovenian friends are quick to point out, he was also inspired by an ancient model of democracy right here in Slovenia that pre-dated his Declaration by over 1,000 years. 

You know the tradition:  the dukes of Carinthia could assume office only after being subjected to questioning by a local farmer to prove their integrity.  Only after the farmer was satisfied with a duke’s answers would the farmer ceremonially slap the duke to remind him of his accountability to the people.  Thomas Jefferson liked that, and today Americans continue to slap their politicians around, at least ceremonially, if they don’t represent their political needs and desires adequately.

For all of us who live in free and democratic societies, we must make sacrifices to maintain our freedom and help others seeking freedom and democracy.  In that vein we should remember our soldiers, diplomats, and other citizens working around the world, in Bosnia, Kosovo, in Afghanistan and Iraq, in the Middle East, who are trying to assure that freedom and democracy can thrive in those societies as well.  I especially want to thank our Slovenian friends and allies for their assistance in these efforts.

Finally, let me thank our sponsors who have made this party possible, whose names are both on your programs and on the sponsor boards, as well as our two fine singers and the RTV Big Band Slovenija we will be enjoying this evening.

Sadly, we must say farewell to nine Embassy employees who are leaving Ljubljana this summer. I would like to thank Dean Haas, Rick Runner, Margaret Claytor, Paul Cantrell, Mark Drobot, John Crosby, Don Green, Adam Lamoreaux and Susan Taylor for their service to the Embassy.   We will miss them and their families.  Please take a moment during the evening to say  goodbye and to meet their replacements, some of whom are here tonight.

Let me again conclude with words of France Prešeren:

Nazadnje še, prijatlji,
kozarce zase vzdignimo,
ki smo se zato zbratli
ker dobro v srcu mislimo...

Na zdravje!