Speeches of Former Amb. Chaveas

4th July 2002

July 4, 2002

REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR PETER R. CHAVEAS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 226TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

LET ME START BY THANKING ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING TIME FROM YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO HELP US CELEBRATE THIS DAY, THE 226TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION BY OUR CONTINENTAL CONGRESS THAT “THESE UNITED COLONIES ARE, AND OF RIGHT OUGHT TO BE FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES . . .”  THOSE WORDS TRANSFORMED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COLONIAL POWER AND TURNED DISAGREEMENT INTO A STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE WHICH CULMINATED ON THE BATTLEFIELD AT YORKTOWN IN 1781 AND AT THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY OF PARIS IN 1783.  THAT SAME DECLARATION ALSO DEFINED OUR NATIONAL SENSE OF PURPOSE WHEN IT STATED THAT “WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. THAT TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS, GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED . . .”  MUCH OF AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1776 HAS BEEN ABOUT THE PURSUIT, HOWEVER IMPERFECTLY, OF THOSE IDEALS SET FORTH BY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS IN PHILADELPHIA.

THOMAS JEFFERSON, WHO WAS THE PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WAS A REMARKABLE MAN OF MANY TALENTS AND MUCH WISDOM.  PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ONCE SAID AT A WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION IN HONOR OF AMERICAN NOBEL LAUREATES, “I THINK THIS IS THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION OF TALENT, OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE, THAT HAS EVER BEEN GATHERED AT THE WHITE HOUSE, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF WHEN THOMAS JEFFERSON DINED ALONE.”

BESIDES HIS INSPIRING WORDS IN THE DECLARATION, JEFFERSON ALSO REMINDED US THAT “ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.”  AMERICANS WERE CHILLINGLY REMINDED OF THE TRUTH OF JEFFERSON’S WORDS ON SEPTEMBER 11.  SIERRA LEONEANS KNOW FULL WELL AND FIRST HAND THE HORROR OF TERRORISM AND AMERICANS AND SIERRA LEONEANS ARE UNITED IN OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING VIGILANT AGAINST IT.   

TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME IN OVER TEN YEARS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE IN A SIERRA LEONE THAT IS AT PEACE AND WHERE WE CAN HOPE THAT ALL CITIZENS WILL HAVE SOME PROSPECT OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  FOR TOO LONG THESE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN DENIED.  THE PEACE THAT OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY OF A BETTER DAY FOR SIERRA LEONE IS FRAGILE AND HAS BEEN PURCHASED AT A VERY HIGH PRICE BY SIERRA LEONEANS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  WE MUST ALL BE VIGILANT AND PERSEVERE IF IT IS TO PREVAIL.

I CAN THINK OF NO SUBJECT IN SIERRA LEONE WHICH DEMANDS GREATER VIGILANCE THAN THAT OF CORRUPTION.  THE TERROR THAT SIERRA LEONE HAS EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS GREW OUT OF DECADES OF CORRUPTION AND BAD GOVERNANCE.  THE TERROR HAS PASSED BUT THE CORRUPTION IS ENDEMIC. SIERRA LEONE’S LEADERS AND EVERY CITIZEN MUST DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO ATTACKING CORRUPTION AND ASSURING THAT IT WILL NEVER AGAIN PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH NEW TERROR WOULD BUILD AND DESTROY THE HARD WON PEACE.  THIS COMMITMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO SIERRA LEONE’S FUTURE.  IT IS THE TOUCHSTONE BY WHICH THE UNITED STATES WILL ASSESS THE FUTURE OF ITS ENGAGEMENT.

FORTUNATELY, SIERRA LEONE, WITH THE SUPPORT OF ITS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS, HAS A NEW OPPORTUNITY.  THE RECENTLY COMPLETED ELECTIONS, AND THE COMMITMENT OF INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS TO BEING COUNTED, HAVE SERVED TO REMIND US ALL THAT IN THE WORDS OF OUR DECLARATION “GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN (AND WOMEN), DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED . . .”  ALL POLITICAL LEADERS ARE CHARGED TO REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF THEIR POWER AND TO RESPECT THE WILL OF THOSE WHOM THEY GOVERN.  I AM CONFIDENT THAT IT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF SIERRA LEONE THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BE DONE TO ERADICATE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE TERROR THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED AND THAT THEY WILL JUDGE THEIR LEADERS ACCORDINGLY.  THE PEOPLE WILL BE VIGILANT AS WILL SIERRA LEONE’S AMERICAN FRIENDS.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN A TOAST TO THE PRESIDENT AND GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE AND TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY.  MAY THEY LIVE IN PEACE AND MAY THEY GUARD THEIR PEACE WITH VIGILANCE.