History, Progress, and Freedom
Ed Schneider, AIC President
This weekend, I reread the history of the United States in order to prepare a video that you will receive on Saturday, July 4th. The saying “history repeats itself” rang loud and clear. The current shift towards populism today is nothing new. The wealth and power created by the industrial revolution in the late 1800s was astounding, as was the stark gap between the ultra-rich such as JP Morgan and the multitude of new immigrants and recently freed slaves living in poverty. The resounding populist backlash at the turn of the last century was of a similar magnitude. Teddy Roosevelt busted up many of the largest US conglomerates during his reign as president. Working conditions and labor rights improved dramatically.
Today’s backlash against the ultra-rich should be viewed as part of the long-term ebb-and flow between capitalism and socialism. The one constant, however, is progress. Each period of change led to improvements in our society. We evolved. People had safer working conditions, minimum wages were set, children went to school instead of work, public universities were established. In turn, a more educated society led to greater innovation and economic growth.
Evolution is an ongoing process. While women and minority rights have improved over the past century, we still have more to do. What guarantees these improvements is that we have the freedom to express our opinions, and those views are represented by our political delegates. The collective wisdom of the masses is our best guide. The right of self-determination not only benefits individuals, but society as a whole. This is Democracy.
Democracy is messy. Peaceful protests can sometimes become violent. Bi-partisan politics and biased news media can become so extreme that people stop listening to each other and we have political gridlock. Today’s unfiltered social media is a blessing, as it creates total transparency. But it can also incite conflict and misunderstanding if not used properly.
However, I would prefer Democracy, messy as it is, to a totalitarian society. A dictatorial system that does not trust the masses, and instead, puts all the power in the hands of the few. A system that suppresses individual liberty and requires complete subservience to the state. I would take Democracy any day.
I am thankful for the freedom that my family enjoys. And I am grateful that countries like the United States and Switzerland exist, providing a haven for peace, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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US History Quiz
LAST CHANCE TO WIN a Manor voucher worth 100 CHF!
Answer all nine questions correctly and you will go into the drawing. Reply by July 6th to admin@amclub.ch
- What Revolutionary War hero was the descendant of a Swiss Huguenot family? (Hint: His father's name when reaching the US was "Rivoire".)
- The statue of what Geneva-born person stands in front of the US Department of the Treasury? (Hint: This person is credited with coming up with the idea of the Federal Reserve system.)
- Name a famous American table wine that has a Swiss connection. What is the connection? (Hint: This is a "golden" opportunity to show how smart you are.)
- (For the kids working on their math skills), When we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, how old does that make the United States? (Hint: Some claim that we should only count from 1788, when the required ninth state was ratified, or 1789, when the country formally "took off.")
- Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? (Hint: Even if the bulk of the credit is given to one person, he was not alone. There was a committee of five chosen to draft the declaration.)
- Since when is July 4 a federal holiday? (Hint: Some states got the jump on celebrating, and only later was there a single, formal proclamation. It was after the Civil War.)
- Name a President who died on July 4. (Hint: There are three, plus one who was born on the Fourth, not counting Bruce Springsteen.)
- Name a country where Switzerland represents US diplomatic interests. (Hint: Secretary of State Pompeo recently thanked Switzerland for its work in one of the countries. What Swiss action merited the thanks?)
- What is the REAL date we declared our independence? (Hint: It is not REALLY the Fourth)
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What Does Freedom Mean to You?
Submit a maximum 50 words on the theme What does freedom mean to me? for a chance to be entered into a drawing to win a voucher from one of our now-famous Food Trucks (watch this space for details). Send your entry to admin@amclub.ch.
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Get your Parade On!
4th of July Virtual Bike Parade: Decorate your bike with a patriotic theme and win a voucher to the American Market worth 30 CHF!
Growing up, one of our favorite things about the 4th of July was our neighborhood Bike Parade. It’s such a fun tradition—for all ages—to share our patriotic spirit.
You can decorate anything with wheels: bicycles or tricycles, strollers or scooters, wagons or wheelchairs! Invite your friends to join you! Try shiny stickers, red/white/ blue streamers or make festive flowers out of simple cupcake wrappers. Use pennant flags or big stars or LED lights for flashy bike wheels.
Send in a photo of you and your bike to admin@amclub.ch by July 6th and we’ll proudly announce the WINNER in our July 4th newsletter!
Have FUN and get creative!
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4th of July Recipes
Share your favorite recipe! Our pick this week is Ronnie B’s Famous Baked Beans. What are your favorite recipes? Send them to us, or send us a photo of your July 4th picnic to win a prize! Find our favorite recipes and share yours here
Submit your favorite 4th of July recipe or send us a photo of your July 4th spread to admin@amclub.ch. We will compile and share them with you here. Plus, you will enter the draw to win Happy Turtle 100% plant-based straws courtesy of AIC member Nhat Vuong, or a jar of locally-made Eric’s Peanut Butter!
To get your juices flowing, we are sharing all our recipes here. Enjoy!
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2019 Memories
Remember how much fun we had last year? Check out our photo album from the 4th of July 2019 here
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Word Search
Check it this fun puzzle one of our (junior) members created with some 4th of July vocabulary: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/1223757/
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July 4th Newsletter - issue 3 - 25 June 2020
The American Dream: The Power of Freedom
Anna Fink, AIC Chair of Communications
My dream has come true … I am on the plane flying across the Atlantic to study at a liberal arts college in Upstate New York. It is early August 1992. Just over ten years since martial law had been proclaimed in Poland … and three years since the fall of Communism … Still unbelievable to me …
I am leaving my beloved Gdansk, the cradle of “Solidarnosc”, and free Poland, in its initial stages of democracy, transitioning into a market economy. I am about to be immersed into the total freedom of THE democratic power of the world, looked up as the example to follow. I arrive at JFK with my personal luggage full of expectations, hopes and representations, drawn from history classes back home, movies, discussions with a few American friends.
Freedom in college, ‘’a place to think’’, which had once become home and final stop to Hannah Arendt, is everywhere, starting with classes: access to and dialogue with world-renowned professors and Noble-prize winners, course content and structure, ‘’critical discourse’’ and inclusivity, and student life at large: freedom of speech, tolerance with a capital “T”, equal rights for everyone: ethnic, gender, and sexual minority organizations, large international student bodies. In my Rights and Liberties class I delve into the powerful speeches of inspiring U.S. leaders: President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King’s ‘’I have a Dream’’, etc. and visit Washington D.C., the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, tracing the steps of the founders of the U.S. independence and democracy: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, as well as Polish patriots and military commanders in the American War of Independence, such as Kazimierz Pulaski, the Father of the American Cavalry, and Tadeusz Kosciuszko who donated his estate and finances to grant emancipation to the slaves.
My first big surprise while at college? Columbus Day is not celebrated (despite the 500th anniversary) at my college as he was a ‘bad’ guy. I am learning about PC (political correctness) and becoming its strong advocate. Fast forward into my senior thesis: I get to analyze the then-crawling banking sector in Poland and, upon graduation, do a reality check at two large U.S. banks in NYC. And before that, what a treat to me as a musician, listening to the commencement speaker, Yo-Yo Ma, play the cello! If this is not freedom, then WHAT IS?
I have moved in and out of several countries since, including Ukraine during what we now know the first Orange Revolution with my newborn daughter, and Switzerland where I unsurprisingly embarked to work for a large U.S. multinational. Now, as a Swiss citizen, I enjoy the direct democracy and freedom, while I monitor with growing concern the backward transitions in some of the ‘’young’’ European democracies and elsewhere, and try as much as I can to share my experiences with my teenage daughter, as freedom and independence should not be taken for granted.
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US History Quiz
Are you a history buff? Think you know a bit about the entwined past between Switzerland and the United States? If so, take your chance at our quiz. We will be giving you a total of nine questions over the next three weeks. If you answer all correctly, you may win a Manor voucher worth 100 CHF!
This week’s questions:
- Name a President who died on July 4. (Hint: There are three, plus one who was born on the Fourth, not counting Bruce Springsteen.)
- Name a country where Switzerland represents US diplomatic interests. (Hint: Secretary of State Pompeo recently thanked Switzerland for its work in one of the countries. What Swiss action merited the thanks?)
- What is the REAL date we declared our independence? (Hint: It is not REALLY the Fourth.
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Share Your Favorite 4th of July Recipe!
Calling all AIC members and friends who love to celebrate the 4th of July with home-cooking! Share your favorite recipe! Our pick this week is prize-winning Chocolate Snowcap cookies by Mary Bernasconi . Do you think you can do better? Or do you have a new kind of picnic fare for the 4th? Vegetarian? Vegan? Let’s hear from you!
Submit your favorite 4th of July recipe by June 18th to admin@amclub.ch. We will compile and share them with you here. (Your recipe must use ingredients we can get locally!) Plus, you will enter the draw to win Happy Turtle 100% plant-based straws courtesy of AIC member Nhat Vuong, or a jar of locally-made Eric’s Peanut Butter!
To get your juices flowing, we are sharing all our recipes here. Enjoy!
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Word Search
Check it this fun puzzle one of our (junior) members created with some 4th of July vocabulary: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/1223757/
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2017 Memories
Check out our photo album from the 4th of July 2017 here.
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July 4th Newsletter - issue 2 - 18 June 2020
We Are All on the Mall: Memories of a July 4th Celebration in Our Nation’s Capital
Paige Holt, AIC Vice-President
One of the best places to celebrate the 4th of July is on the National Mall in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. As an undergraduate student in DC, it was my fancy, expansive (59 hectares!) back yard and playground. That long green carpet of a lawn sprawls for miles and is dotted with ponds, pools, statues and the most illustrious monuments and museums the US has bragging rights over. Walk it from one end to the other and you will feel in your bones (and probably your feet!) the enthusiasm, gumption, intellectual curiosity, openness and freedom our ancestors were alight with when they conceived it.
On the 4th of July, it was THE place to be. My crew and I would pack up the ice chests and head out early to secure a good spot to spread our picnic, watch the crowds and lie under the fireworks come evening. It felt like most of Washington had the same idea, and amongst the hot dogs and hamburgers were distinct and delicious smells of tamales, cornbread and greens, curry, peking duck, spicy sausages, … the cuisines of the world converged at the Mall on July 4th.
There was beer, there was watermelon, and there were sunburns. We lollygagged, played games, caught up with each other (this will inevitably reveal my age, but we didn’t have mobile phones back then), discussed what we were going to do with the rest of our summer, and the rest of our lives.
At the tender age of 20, we didn’t think much about what Independence Day meant. We took our freedom and the fireworks for granted. We were privileged and damn lucky to be there, although the acknowledgement of that only comes with hindsight and a lifetime of living and travelling in countries less prosperous or less democratic than mine. Today, Independence Day reminds me of our good fortune to be able to exercise our civil liberties—freedom of speech, expression, the right to life, among others—as well as our obligation to protect and nurture them.
What Does Freedom Mean to You?
Submit a maximum 50 words on the theme What does freedom mean to me? for a chance to be entered into a drawing to win a voucher from one of our now-famous Food Trucks (watch this space for details). Send your entry to admin@amclub.ch.
************************************************************
US History Quiz
Are you a history buff? Think you know a bit about the entwined past between Switzerland and the United States? If so, take your chance at our quiz. We will be giving you a total of nine questions over the next three weeks. If you answer all correctly, you may win a Manor voucher worth 100 CHF!
This week’s questions:
1) (For the kids working on their math skills) When we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, how old does that make the United States? (Hint: Some claim that we should only count from 1788, when the required ninth state ratified, or 1789, when the country formally "took off.")
2) Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? (Hint: Even if the bulk of the credit is given to one person, he was not alone. There was a committee of five chosen to draft the declaration.)
3) Since when is July 4 a federal holiday? (Hint: Some states got the jump on celebrating, and only later was there a single, formal proclamation. It was after/after the Civil War.)
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Share Your Favorite 4th of July Recipe!
Calling all AIC members and friends who love to celebrate the 4th of July with home-cooking! Share your favorite recipe! Our pick this week is Ronnie B’s Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce. Do you think you can do better? Or do you have a new kind of picnic fare for the 4th? Vegetarian? Vegan? Let’s hear from you!
Submit your favorite 4th of July recipe by June 18th to admin@amclub.ch. We will compile and share them in the June 25th newsletter to give everyone enough time before the 4th to stock-up the pantry. (Your recipe must use ingredients we can get locally!) Plus, you will enter the draw to win Happy Turtle 100% plant-based straws courtesy of AIC member Nhat Vuong, or a jar of locally-made Eric’s Peanut Butter!
To get your juices flowing, we are sharing all our recipes here. Enjoy!
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2018 Memories
Check out our photo album from the 4th of July 2018 here. Remember that heat??
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Word Search
Check it this fun puzzle one of our (junior) members created with some 4th of July vocabulary: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/1223757/
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July 4th Newsletter - issue 1 - 11 June 2020
A message from Ron Banks, Chair, American Celebration Committee
Dear AIC Members, Friends, Guests and Fellow Americans,
In this time of coronavirus uncertainty, the AIC made the difficult decision to cancel our traditional 4th of July Celebration event. However, it has not dampened the spirit of the 4th of July, nor the AIC’s commitment to celebrate this important American holiday. We remain committed to our community and will not let this historic moment go unnoticed.
When the decision was made to cancel this year’s event, ideas started to flow as to what we can do online. We reached out to our members and the US Ambassador, Mr. Ed McMullen. All were enthusiastic about the concept and willing to help to make something happen.
As a result, the AIC will be publishing this special 4th of July Newsletter weekly up until the 4th and offering some all-American recipes, a fun-but-challenging US history quiz, an essay contest on “What Freedom Means to Me”, a chance to get creative with a parade contest, and much more fun for kids and grown-ups alike.
On the 4th of July via YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook we will broadcast a special message from Ambassador McMullen and our president Ed Schneider as well as a performance of the national anthem from Mrs. Patricia Ryan, as tradition would have it.
I would personally like to thank those who helped make this unique celebration possible. Their ideas, commitment and hard work was truly a testament of the “can-do spirit” of the AIC. My sincere appreciation goes out to:
- Paige Holt – AIC VP, whose idea for this event and leadership drove this on-line celebration
- Barbara Wetsig-Lynam – AIC VP and Membership Chair
- Anna Fink – Communications Chair
- Mary Bernasconi – Civic Concerns Chair
- Ruth Dyson – AIC Office Manager
But most of all, my thanks go out to you, our members, friends and guests. It is your support that enables the AIC to provide our speakers luncheons, the 4th of July Celebration, the Thanksgiving Celebration, sporting and cultural events to our community. You give the AIC the motivation to strive to be “the best club in town”.
Best regards and happy 4th of July,
Ron Banks
Chair, American Celebration Committee
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US History Quiz
Are you a history buff? Think you know a bit about the entwined past between Switzerland and the United States? If so, take your chance at our quiz. We will be giving you three questions in each week for the next three weeks. If you answer all correctly, you may win a Manor voucher worth 100 CHF!
- What Revolutionary War hero was the descendant of a Swiss Hugenot family? (Hint: His father's name when reaching the US was "Rivoire".)
- The statue of what Geneva-born person stands in front of the US Department of the Treasury? (Hint: This person is credited with coming up with the idea of the Federal Reserve system.)
- Name a famous American table wine that has a Swiss connection. What is the connection? (Hint: This is a "golden" opportunity to show how smart you are.)
There will be 9 questions in total over the weeks leading up to July 4th. Email your answers to admin@amclub.ch . All those with the correct answere will be put into the draw to win!
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Share Your Favorite 4th of July Recipe!
Calling all AIC members and friends who love to celebrate the 4th of July with home-cooking! Share your favorite recipe! Do you claim to have the best BBQ sauce? Or the most asked-for coleslaw? Blue-ribbon apple pie? Get-your-groove-on cocktail or mocktail?
Submit your favorite 4th of July recipe by June 18th to admin@amclub.ch. We will compile and share them in the June 25th newsletter to give everyone enough time before the 4th to stock-up the pantry. (Your recipe must use ingredients we can get locally!) Plus, you will enter the draw to win Happy Turtle 100% plant-based straws courtesy of AIC member Nhat Vuong, or a jar of locally-made Eric’s Peanut Butter!
To put you in the mood, we are sharing here the recipes from the winners of our Tollhouse Cookie Bake-offs in 2019 and 2018. Enjoy!
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What Does Freedom Mean to You?
Submit a maximum 50 words on the theme What does freedom mean to me? for a chance to be entered into a drawing to win a voucher from one of our now-famous Food Trucks (watch this space for details). Send your entry to admin@amclub.ch.
************************************************************
Get your Parade On!
4th of July Virtual Bike Parade: Decorate your bike with a patriotic theme and win a voucher to the American Market worth 30 CHF!
Growing up, one of our favorite things about the 4th of July was our neighborhood Bike Parade. It’s such a fun tradition—for all ages—to share our patriotic spirit.
You can decorate anything with wheels: bicycles or tricycles, strollers or scooters, wagons or wheelchairs! Invite your friends to join you! Try shiny stickers, red/white/ blue streamers or make festive flowers out of simple cupcake wrappers. Use pennant flags or big stars or LED lights for flashy bike wheels.
Send in a photo of you and your bike to admin@amclub.ch by June 26 and we’ll proudly announce the WINNER in our July 4th newsletter!
Have FUN and get creative!
************************************************************
Word Search
Check it this fun puzzle one of our (junior) members created with some 4th of July vocabulary: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/1223757/
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