“I grew up in Canada. I used to think America was too introspective, that somehow it was a bad thing that Americans couldn’t rattle off the name of my prime minister. But September 11 has made things different. It’s true – ask many Americans about history, and they’ll fluently recite Revolutionary War tales and Civil War stories yet stammer on the Crimean War. But I’ve come to realize that this is what makes America strong. Americans focus on themselves….and strive for excellence in doing so. They know themselves better than anyone – their strengths and their weaknesses. They just tend to focus on their strengths, and that, I believe, is a good thing. Legally, I can’t say I’m proud to be an American….but morally, I can say I’m proud to live among them.”
Ashleigh Banfield
Oprah Magazine
September 2002