Remarks by the Consul General
Reception in Honor of the Fourth of July (July 2007)
Distinguished government officials, educators, business leaders, artists, diplomats, Fellow Americans, Friends and colleagues.
Good evening. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 231st anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. It is an honor and a privilege for us to commemorate this date with all of you in this beautiful facility.
I would like to thank Hector Lopez and Kimball Wheeler for their wonderful renditions of the national anthems of Mexico and the United States this evening.
I would especially like to thank the following businesses and corporations for their generous donations which helped make this celebration possible:
Laboratorios Julio
Casa Herradura – Brown Forman
Outback Steakhouse
Burger King
Applebee’s
Casa Orendain
Hershey’s
Chili’s
Costco
Hooters
Tequila Huizache
La Cocina de Guille
Camara Nacional de la Industria Tequilera
And I would also like to thank all of my colleagues from the Consulate, who have also worked very hard to make this celebration a success. I am absolutely certain that we have the best team working in the best consulate of all the US diplomatic posts in Mexico!
And finally, as I complete my first year of service in Mexico, I would like to thank all of you for your friendship and hospitality. Everywhere that my family and I have traveled – in the Zona Metropolitana, in Jalisco, and beyond to Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit, we have been received with incredible warmth and generosity. My wife and I, and our two young children deeply appreciate this kindness.
In 1776, the infant United States of America found itself at war – a war waged to gain independence and protect the rights and freedoms we hold so dear today. That struggle was followed by many others, civil and military, which shaped the country we all know today. The path forward was not a swift or easy one, with challenges such as slavery, segregation, and discrimination against women and minorities to be surmounted with hard work and sacrifice. The long effort to promote a more just society that began in 1776 continues to this day.
In 2007, the United States again finds itself at war – in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as across the globe in a campaign against terrorism. As the events this past weekend in London and Glasgow show, the terrorist threat to free peoples remains very real. As President Bush has repeatedly declared, the United States is absolutely committed to fighting terror and terrorists wherever they might be. We will defend our freedom and values now with the same courage and determination displayed by the Patriots in our Revolutionary War so many years ago.
Many of you were very disappointed by the news of the failure of the immigration reform bill in the United States Senate last Friday. I share your concern. Ambassador Tony Garza spoke for all of us when he declared,
“I share President Bush’s profound disappointment that the Senate was unable to pass this reform bill, one that might have represented a significant step toward reaching common ground on an issue that is important for many in the United States. President Bush and nearly two thirds of the American people recognize that the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws; they need to be reformed to meet the realities and challenges we face in the world today. In this case, I believe the reform process broke down on largely procedural grounds and for political reasons.”
This action is indeed a disappointment, but we all need to remember that progress is often neither easy nor rapid. The US War for Independence that began formally in 1776 lasted for another seven years, with many difficult and desperate days before final success was won. The efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive immigration reform will continue, and to once again quote Ambassador Garza, “in my heart, I know we will reach that goal.” The United States of America is successful precisely because it is a nation of immigrants and a land of opportunity, and we will not abandon that heritage in the future.
In closing, I would like to return to the present and assure all of you that you can count on us – all of us in the Consulate and the US diplomatic mission in Mexico to work with you to strengthen the bilateral relationship and build a better future for both countries:
Count on us to facilitate travel between the United States and Mexico, even with visa demand up by 25 percent this year.
Count on us to serve the large and growing community of US residents in Mexico, as well as the thousands of US tourists who flock to this region every year.
Count on us to stand with you in the vital struggle against narcotrafficking, organized crime, and fugitives from justice.
Count on us to promote trade and commerce between the United States and Mexico to help create jobs and benefit both countries.
Count on us to help your efforts to improve competitiveness, expand employment opportunities, promote judicial reform, protect the environment, and defend human rights – all with objective of increasing development in Mexico.
Count on us to promote academic and cultural exchanges, and work to increase understanding between the citizens of the US and Mexico.
This past year, for me as Consul General, has been a good beginning. The same is true for the new leaders at the municipal, state, and federal levels in Mexico. Let us all now roll up our sleeves and work together to make the coming year even better.
Thank you all again for coming this evening.
Viva Mexico, and Viva Los Estados Unidos