Speech

Remarks of Ambassador Gregory W. Angle, on the 228th Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America

Lomé, Togo
July 2, 2004

It is my great pleasure to welcome you this evening to our celebration of the 228th year of independence of the United States of America. I would like to thank each of you for joining us on this special occasion.

In the United States, July Fourth is not only a day of picnics and fireworks; it is a day to reflect on the birth of our nation and the democratic values on which it is founded. It is also a day to recall what has transpired since the last July Fourth celebration. Inevitably, some of those recollections are more pleasant than others.

Very recently, Americans had the sad occasion to lay to rest one of our former presidents, Ronald Reagan. A warmhearted man with a friendly smile and sympathetic charm that could disarm supporters and opponents alike, we will remember him fondly. We will remember him for the unrelenting but principled pressure he brought to bear on the Soviet Union, which contributed directly to the fall of communism and created the framework for a world made up of governments of, by and for the people. We will remember him for looking straight into the television camera and taking personal responsibility for a policy initiative that went awry, the Iran-Contra Affair, as something that took place on his watch. And many Americans will remember him for his perpetual optimism and for giving them a reason, once again, to feel good about their country. Whether one agreed with his policies or not, he served the Office of the President and the country he represented with great dignity, and for that, we not only remember him fondly, but we respect him.

If Americans have been saddened by President Reagan's death, we have been both saddened and appalled by the images that hit the newspapers and television screens a few months ago: images of U.S. soldiers humiliating Iraqi prisoners in ways virtually unimaginable to most Americans. I have family and friends all over the United States, and their sorrow and shame that it was Americans who committed these unforgivable misdeeds are profound. President Bush, in expressing his own sorrow on behalf of the nation, explained why: the actions of these individuals in no way reflect the values of our country.

We do not have one common religion in the United States, but Americans of all religions and ethnic groups share a strong faith in democracy, with the sacrosanct respect for human rights that that system of governance demands. Others might occasionally find Americans naïve in their interpretation or implementation of democracy, but no one who truly knows us can question the strength or sincerity of our belief in this regard.

It is indeed the strength of our faith in democracy and fundamental human rights, shared by our traditional allies, that will enable us to get to the bottom of what transpired in Abu Ghraib Prison and why. That same devotion to democratic principles will also ensure that we emerge from this horrible episode in our history even stronger in our respect for fundamental human rights and their conscientious protection.

Why am I so sure that Americans' democratic values are the key to getting through and learning from this crisis? Because only in a functioning democracy can television and radio stations, newspapers and other media report freely, without threat of government sanction, a story so damaging to the government and the image of the country. Only in a democracy will public bodies with independent authority launch genuine investigations to determine what occurred, how and why. Only in a democracy will senior officials be grilled in public, televised sessions to find out what they knew, when they knew it, and what steps they took to address the problem. In this case, the Government has even opened up military trials to reporters to ensure that the procedures and actions taken are transparent. It might not be pretty to watch - and being on the receiving end of such public exposure is something no public official ever wants to experience - but the message is an essential one: public officials are accountable to the public; one cannot abuse one's position or authority with impunity.

The Americans I know are determined to use the tools of our democracy to get to the bottom of the prisoner abuse scandal, punish those responsible, and most importantly, take whatever actions are necessary to ensure, as best we can in an imperfect world, that something like this never happens again. That is the spirit and the country Americans celebrate on the Fourth of July.

Americans are, I believe, a fundamentally optimistic people. We believe that our country can be better, and that in fact it is up to us to make it so. Fundamental to this belief are regular elections at all levels of government, and as most of you know, we are currently in a presidential election year.

To those unfamiliar with U.S. politics and elections, it might appear - from the charges and countercharges that the presidential candidates make against one another - that the nation is in a state of crisis. That is not the case. Americans clearly feel more strongly about some elections than others, and they don't hesitate to voice their opinions about their candidate or the other party's. In fact, however, because there is broad acceptance of the electoral system, Americans accept the results of elections even as close and contested as the one that took place in 2000.

Occasionally, I have heard people point to that election as an indication that the U.S. presidential electoral system is broken. There were clearly technical problems with the methods and equipment some voting districts employed, but those districts, with the help of the Election Assistance Commission created by the U.S. Congress in 2002, have come a long way in addressing those problems in the intervening four years. That's democracy in action: identifying a problem and taking action, often on the initiative of a country's elected representatives. In fact, however, it was not the promise of improvements in electoral machinery in 2004 that persuaded voters in 2000 to accept the final outcome of that election. It was the fact that the painstaking process of sorting out the disputed results played out in the full view of the public in the month that followed election day. The issue clearly required this degree of thoroughness and transparency to satisfy the American public that, if the outcome was not the one that those who voted for Al Gore would have preferred, it was one that they could accept under the unusual circumstances of such a tight race.

In the end, what is important, in any country, is that in fact people do accept the results of an election, and that can only happen if the great majority of a country's citizens believe that the election and the system under which it was conducted were free, fair and transparent.

Next January 21, either President Bush or John Kerry will take the oath of office as President of the United States. Either way, I can safely predict that Americans will accept the result, whether it reflects their personal preference or not. Republican, Democratic and independent voters alike will look to whoever takes the oath to lead them in a manner which both advances the interests of the United States and does our democracy credit.

If President Bush wins the election, John Kerry will call him as soon as the results are know to concede defeat and offer his congratulations. If John Kerry wins the election, President Bush will do the same, and at the inauguration he will shake the new President's hand and go peacefully into private life. Many Americans will take for granted the fact that power has been transferred on the basis of a simple handshake. But for those living in countries that have experienced the alternatives - fraudulent elections, civil unrest, military takeovers - this brief handshake represents something far more profound. We look to them to help us celebrate this aspect of our democracy on the Fourth of July.

You have all been very patient as I have taken your time to talk about the country I represent on the 228th anniversary of its independence. Before I invite you to enjoy more food and drink, I would like to say a few words in support of two processes now underway in Togo, which I think offer significant hope for a bright and democratic future: the inter-Togolese dialogue and Togo's consultations with the European Union. Through these two processes Togo can address most of the important democracy and human rights issues that it has been grappling with for a number of years - issues that have also been of great concern to the United States. If all of the parties to these processes approach their responsibilities with seriousness and sincerity, I am optimistic that they will succeed. The United States stands ready to play a constructive role toward this end.

And now, I ask that you join me in raising a glass to the continued friendship and prosperity of the people of the Togolese Republic and the people of the United States of America.