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Tuesday July 01, 2008
Klobuchar
Statement on Somali Independence Day.
Commemorates historic day for Minnesota’s Somali Community
Minneapolis, M.N. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following
statement to commemorate Somali Independence Day, July 1, 2008:
“I am honored to join with Minnesota’s Somali community in celebrating the
48th anniversary of Somalia’s independence from Great Britain and Italy.
“Both as United States Senator now, and as Hennepin County Attorney for
eight years, I have worked closely with the Somali community. As a
prosecutor, I got to know the community well after two Somali cab drivers
were killed and we succeeded in bringing their murderers to justice. On a
more pleasant note, I got to know many Somali families because their
children were classmates and friends of my daughter when she attended Tuttle
Elementary School in Minneapolis.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States –
and I am honored to represent them in the Senate. I have always believed
that America’s strength comes from the diversity of our people. Somalis are
among those who contribute so much to the cultural and economic vitality of
America, especially here in Minnesota.
It is a happy coincidence that Somalia’s Independence Day is so close to our
own July 4th Independence Day in the United States. The victory achieved by
the people of Somalia in 1960 was the same victory achieved by the people of
the thirteen American colonies in 1776: The opportunity to renounce our
colonial status and to become an independent, self-governing nation.
As a United States Senator, I am committed to working closely with
Minnesota’s Somali community to help their country move forward to create a
peaceful future. A stable, functioning Somalia is in the interests of both
the Somali people and the United States.
On this, Somalia’s Independence Day, let us recall the historic achievement
of 1960 while also looking ahead with hope for a peaceful and productive
future.’’
RSTV NEWSROOM
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