To Be What You Want To Be

Ladies and gentlemen,

4th of July, Independence Day, probably means something to all of us. To me personally it’s thinking about stories I was told by my mother. How she and her family were liberated in September 1944 by American soldiers and the freedom they brought to them. And the hope they brought to them, in that part of Limburg where no hope was left by that time. I think also of private first class Leo Lichten who died in November ’44 and was buried in Margraten near my home. My family and I take care of his grave. He was a very young man, never got the chance to be a father or a grandfather. He never got the chance to be all he could be, simply because he died for freedom. On Independence Day I also think about people like Rosa Parks en Dr Martin Luther King who brought hope to the world, who brought real change and who have made America a place where everybody wants to be, because they can stay in their community and still be full-flexed citizens.

On Independence Day, president Obama’s first Independence Day, I feel we can be unashamed and undebated in our love for America. With thanks to this new President who has brought new hope and new perspective into the whole Western world. And just to illustrate that, this week President Obama, somewhere in the United States, took an HIV-test. And I thought, he has also been my president for doing these things. Making a stand. Anyway, all these matters are part of Independence Day, all these things are part of what America means to us.

And that is why I think the celebrations of New York 400 this year - and many of you will have heard me speak about these celebrations before - these celebrations stand for far more than just the 400 years of friendship between the two people. They also stand for what we want to be, the values we share and where we want to go to with both our countries: a place where everybody feels at home. Where people are not judged by the colour of their skin, but by their abilities and by their willingness to contribute to society. This is the country I want to live in and we take great pride in being friends with the United States, for this is a staring point for every individual citizen.

Ladies and gentlemen, before ending my short speech I just want to pay tribute to someone who has been essential to the New York 400 celebrations. Without whom it would never have succeeded: Marjorie Ames, American Consul General in Amsterdam is going to leave us shortly. She is a remarkable person, because of her personal commitment to the job, but also to Amsterdam. Because of her openness. Because of her willingness to become slightly Dutch during her stay in Amsterdam. She might leave the Netherlands and Amsterdam, but the Netherlands and Amsterdam will never leave her. And I do hope she will come back. I’m sure she will go on to even greener pastures and have a very successful career, but I’m also sure that she will never forget us. Because this is the place that has become her home. She has been a true ‘Amsterdammer’ in the last couple of years. We thank you Marjorie, for everything you have done for this country, for your own country, for this city and we wish you Godspeed. Thank you very much.