The Foreign Service Journal, December 2003

Let the wags wag. I would rather dance, and at the end of the day go to the movies and watch the latest Sundance Festival-stamped film that shows how native Americans really live and work in the modern American democracy, how tradi- tions are preserved within the enor- mous numbers of different migrant communities. Over 80 nations lost their citizens in the Twin Towers. How many more nations are driving about American cities and small towns, shopping in the supermarkets and malls, voting or not voting for their representatives (pity, but America is large and I contradict myself, said Whitman)? What about the illegal American, the one who lives on the margins of cities and counties, who staffs restaurants and poultry plants, who picks tomatoes and drives taxis? The debate about resolving the status of these searchers after the American Dream continues as I write. History shows that debate leads eventually to new legislation, laws and practices. Democracy takes care of dissent, keeps the dream alive. Cowboys and Indians, the White Man and Savage, no longer dominate the American subconsciousness. There are other actors there, a panoply of different stakeholders. They include native Americans, African-Americans, Indian-Americans. Eventually, the Great Society programs will not be necessary, and we will look back at our cousins gathered in our countries of origin and note with great joy — in my case Sri Lankan- American joy — that war has spent itself, that peoples have healed their wounds and resolved their differences, that the freedom song and the resulting dance are our common patrimony. ■ 72 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 I can hear naysayers remind me of low voter turnouts, apathy, a climate of fear caused by terrorism that is chipping away at long- held privacy protections. Need to Sound the Alarm About Something? Why not write a “Speaking Out” column for the Foreign Service Journal ? “Speaking Out” is your forum to advocate policy, regulatory or statutory changes to the Foreign Service. These can be based on personal experience with an injustice or convey your hard-won insights into a foreign affairs-related issue. Writers are encouraged to take strong stands, but all factual claims must be supported and documented. Submissions should be approximately 1,500 words in length and should be sent via e-mail to jo urnal@afsa.org. Please note that all submis- sions to the Journal must be approved by the Editorial Board and are subject to editing for style, length and format. 2003 FS Authors’ Roundup — Gift Ideas In Their Own Write The November issue of Foreign Service Journal offered you a wide variety of holiday gift picks for young and old. Check out the selections online at the AFSA Marketplace: Go to w ww.afsa.org, Cli ck on the M ARKETPLACE tab, Click on AFSA and A MAZON B OOKS , Click on FS A UTHORS .