Congratulations are much in order to Marland Townsend, Deborah Wilder and Rick Wykoff, the winners in this year?s city elections. Along that same vein, I want to express my sincere appreciation to Gary Mogil, Lou Rain and Patrick Sullivan who demonstrated their dedication and commitment to our city. Although these people didn?t win in the election this year, they certainly didn?t lose and what?s more important our city is the beneficiary of having these quality individuals in our midst continuing their dedicated involvement and service to our community.
It is people like these who accept the responsibility of their membership in our community that assure the success of the American dream. We all owe a debt or gratitude to these six community servants who are indeed community leaders. Thank you all. That?s America.
America is the land of liberty where people are free to fulfill their dreams to the maximum extent of their capabilities. In each instance or contest in which we are involved in the pursuit of our dreams, we identify those who we call winners and those who have lost but as I have indicated above, all of the ?participants? are really winners. That?s the Magnificent Obsession; the participants who serve are the ultimate beneficiaries. That?s America.
Another example of fulfilling the American dream was our World Series. Wasn?t it great? You know, it?s the seventh game and the underdogs come from behind in the bottom of the 9th to win. Take it from a guy from Brooklyn, baseball doesn?t get any better than that. But, it was before that final game that, when asked, I predicted the winner(s), and I was right. It was so easy to recognize the two real winners of the series and they were baseball and America. The shadow of the September 11th tragedies could in no way dampen the struggle to survive and the will to win. That?s America.
Now, we must remember our responsibility for leadership. We have the entire civilized world behind us. Our President has established a clear uncompromising goal with an unrelenting plan to achieve this goal. We are embarked on a worldwide crusade to assure that everybody of every sex, every color and every faith has the right to choose freedom and opportunity as the framework for their own destiny??and That?s America.
Again, God really has blessed America.
print 