17 March, Italy 150's Anniversary

Sono poche o pochissime le occasioni in cui un uomo di buon senso può dirsi fiero della propria nazionalità. La nazionalità è qualcosa di molto astratto e generico, un concetto verso il quale fatico ad avvicinarmi. Io mi sento da sempre europeo, prima che italiano, e penso che via via le nuove generazioni d’Europa condivideranno sempre più questo tipo di sentimento, anche alla luce del ventennio berlusconiano in cui ci capita di vivere, un periodo storico fra i più sporchi e meno condivisi della storia italiana, appena meglio del fascismo. In ogni caso, oggi si celebra il 150° anniversario dalla proclamazione del Regno d’Italia unito, e allora mi pare giusto ricordare la data con le belle parole del presidente degli Stati Uniti, Barack Obama:

A PROCLAMATION

On March 17, Italy celebrates the 150th anniversary of its unification
as a single state. On this day, we join with Italians everywhere to honor
the courage, sacrifice, and vision of the patriots who gave birth to the
Italian nation. At a time when the United States was fighting for the
preservation of our own Union, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s campaign for the
unification of Italy inspired many around the world in their own struggles,
including the 39th New York Infantry, also known as “The Garibaldi Guard.”
Today, the legacy of Garibaldi and all those who unified Italy lives on in
the millions of American women and men of Italian descent who strengthen and
enrich our Nation.

Italy and the United States are bound by friendship and common
dedication to civil liberties, democratic principles, and the universal
human rights our countries both respect and uphold. As we mark this
important milestone in Italian history, we also honor the joint efforts of
Americans and Italians to foster freedom, democracy, and our shared values
throughout the world.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 17, 2011, as a day to
celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. I encourage
all Americans to learn more about the history of Italian unification and to
honor the enduring friendship between the people of Italy and the people of
the United States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA