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In Memorium, 11 September 2001
``They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.''

—Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

See also An ode to America, by Cornel Nistorescu

The Americans

This editorial was broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair on 5 June 1973 as the United States was withdrawing from Vietnam. It later was printed in the U.S. Congressional Record. The text here is the one forwarded by Gretchen Phillips that set off the round of discussion on the Sinclair Discussion List. The original script is also available.
"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

"When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, war-mongering Americans.

"I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC-10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International Airlines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon?

"You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon — not once, but several times — and safely home again.

"You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

"When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the American who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

"Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those. Stand proud, Americans!"

Gordon Sinclair (1900-1984)

[Canada] The famous Canadian Sinclair wrote the essay included on the right here. He was the first honorary president of Clan Sinclair Canada. Here is a discography and a biography of him. Laurel has more to say about him.
From: Toni Sinclair <asflwr@cujo2.icom.ca
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:17:18 -0400
John,

Gordon Sinclair was a loveable, hateable, curmudgeon, and an icon of Canadian radio, television and news for many, many years. He always said precisely what he thought, regardless of popular opinion. He was usually right, but was man enough to admit it when he was proven otherwise. We lost a great Canadian when he passed away some years ago.

Toni

PS - most Canadians agreed with him at the time he recorded this opinion!


From: "Rory Sinclair" <rory.sinclair@accglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:44:24 -0500

Gordon Sinclair was a well-known Canadian Journalist < feisty and told it like it was < at least according to Gordon! He was the first Honourary President of our Clan Sinclair Association here in Canada and was an aquaintance of my father, Edward G. Sinclair founder of C.S.A.C. There was a recording of this by Gordon himself with lottsa violins and schmalz but it was a big hit both here and south of the border.

Aye, Rory


From: "Ken W Sinclair" <kensin66@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 11:20:04 -0600

My father W.H.C. Sinclair, Manitoba Canada, bought one of Gordon Sinclair's books for me at Christmas when I was about eleven years old. I am now sixty seven years old. He wrote many books of adventure, not as good as Jack London though.

Yours Aye
Ken W Sinclair MB Canada


From: Gordon Holmes <lafleur@home.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:12:50 -0800

Gordon Sinclair was also a permenent member of "Front Page Challange". A show where the panel had to guess the news story or NewsMaker. As a kid, I watched this every week. One could accuse Gordon Sinclair of bad choices in clothing, but not a man who lacked facts and opinions.

Gordon Vaughan Sinclair Holmes


From: Wanda Sinclair <wanda.sinclair@3web.net
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 22:14:22 -0500

Gordon Sinclair is a famous Canadian. He was a war correspondent for the Toronto Star; was also a panelist on Frontpage Challenge Canadian T.V. Show.

The following is what I have on his family.

WANDA SINCLAIR
Rexdale, Ontario

  1. John1 SINCLAIR. He married Catherine FERGUSON. They had 1 child:
    • + 2. M i. George Alexander "Sandy" SINCLAIR, born 1874, died Oct 1951
  2. George Alexander "Sandy"2 SINCLAIR <See pg. 1> (John1) was born 1874. He was the son of John SINCLAIR and Catherine FERGUSON. George died Oct 1951, at the age of 77. He married Bessie Goldie EESLEY 7 Sep 1898 in Toronto. She was born 1872/1873. She was the daughter of Albert Robert EESLEY and Jennie. Bessie died 30 Sep 1958/1959, at the age of 86. They had 3 children:
    • + 3. M i. Gordon Alan SINCLAIR, born 3 Jun 1900, died 17 May 1984 <See pg. 2>.
    • 4. M ii. Murray SINCLAIR.
    • + 5. M iii. George Garfield SINCLAIR, born 14 Feb 1916 <See pg. 2>.
    NOTES for George: !OCCUPATION: Piano Finisher.
  3. Gordon Alan3 SINCLAIR <See pg. 2> (George2, John1) was born 3 Jun 1900 in Toronto. He was the son of George Alexander "Sandy" SINCLAIR and Bessie Goldie EESLEY. Gordon died 17 May 1984 in Etobicoke, at the age of 83. He married Gladys PREWETT 8 May 1926 in Toronto. She was the daughter of Arthur PREWETT. Gladys died 1 Feb 1987. They had 4 children:
    • 6. M i. Gordon SINCLAIR.
    • 7. M ii. Donald SINCLAIR.
    • 8. F iii. Jean SINCLAIR.
    • 9. M iv. John SINCLAIR.
    NOTES for Gordon: OCCUPATION: Journalist.
  4. George Garfield3 SINCLAIR <See pg. 2> (George2, John1) was born 14 Feb 1916. He is the son of George Alexander "Sandy" SINCLAIR and Bessie Goldie EESLEY. His spouse has not been identified.They had 3 children:
    • 10. M i. Ian SINCLAIR.
    • 11. F ii. Nancy SINCLAIR.
    • 12. F iii. Catriona SINCLAIR.

Last changed: 00/03/01 19:20:08 [Clan Sinclair]