(From the ACA News Report 2005-1)
Dear Fellow Americans and Friends all over the world,
Our country has just come through a new test of the functioning of its democracy with flying colors. The recent political campaign and election showed that the political system set down by our forefathers more than two hundred years ago has stood the test of time and continues to be applicable today just as it was then. Of course, there is always room for improvement and the changes in our Constitution over the years have reflected these, but the basic principle stays the same.
In our democratic system there will always be winners and losers because that is the nature of the electoral process. But, win or lose, both sides come out "winners" in the sense that we all can move forward for the collective good now that a clear decision has been made. American Citizens Abroad congratulates all the winners, both Democrats and Republicans, and will continue to work with its friends and associates in Washington for the advancement of the issues that concern all Americans living overseas.
During the recent campaign, ACA tried very hard to get a statement or a commitment in support of overseas Americans from both parties. Unfortunately, neither party perceived American citizens living abroad as a political force that had to be dealt with or acceded to. Both parties viewed making a statement of support as potentially damaging on the home front. Therein lies ACA's on-going challenge - changing perceptions. Americans residing abroad continue to be perceived not as citizens living outside their country but as unpatriotic Americans, "runaways" or worse yet, "tax- dodgers". The recent announcement by many people that they would move to Canada depending on the outcome of the election did nothing to improve that perception.
Those of us who live abroad know what the situation is really like: teaching kids how to read in Africa, working on an oil rig in Saudi Arabia, raising a multi-national family in Switzerland, trying to get American products on the market in China, getting a telecom network set up in South America....the examples are endless. Americans living overseas are just like all Americans everywhere; working hard to bring prosperity and democratic ideals to the world market. ACA's active involvement in Overseas Americans Week in May, 2005, its work on building support of the "Elimination of the Export Tax on U.S. Labor", its publication of stories told by Americans living and working overseas, along with its ongoing dialog with Washington representatives, will hopefully help us get this message to Washington and our compatriots back in the United States.
May the New Year bring you health and happiness wherever you may live.
Sincerely,
Karl Jauch, ACA Executive Director