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Lindy Li (李林笛)。
校友在群裏分享了這個消息,華裔普林斯頓畢業生Lindy Li(李林笛)辭掉摩根銀行的高薪工作,開始了她競選賓州的美國國會眾議員的征程。
她的成長反映了太多我們這代人移民海外的足跡,她在四川出生,二個星期後父母就去了英國,因為父親要去那裏讀博士,所以她是爺爺和姥姥帶大的,至今還因與近 90歲的姥姥感情深厚而每天通話。父母在她四歲的時候將她接到英國,五歲時隨父母抵美國,先在耶魯短暫停留後去了波士頓,弟弟在那裏的塔夫什大學醫院出 生,後來舉家搬到賓州定居。她說服父母讓她從公立學轉到全女子的私立高中,她稱那裏改變了她的一生並使她順利進入普林斯頓。她在普林斯頓也積極參加課外活動,連續數年當選年級主席,現在仍然是普林斯頓校友的招集人之一。
下麵是她為自己競選寫的爭取選票的文字,文字之精美與她在普林斯頓所受教育應該密切相關。她文章的第一段寫出了美國與世界很多國家不同的地方,那就是她為來自五湖四海的新移民提供了相對公平的競爭機會。
如果我能給Lindy的競選主管建言, 我會告訴她或他,這篇文章寫得太像普林斯頓畢業生著墨的自傳體文章了,過於深奧而不那麽適應用作競選語言。美國人從來不喜歡旁征博引名人的格言,尤其是需要麵對芸芸眾生的議員競選的時候。
記 得當年小布什和戈爾在聖路易斯華盛頓大學進行總統辯論,當時正是波黑戰爭期間,戈爾回答問題之前先在有限時間裏解釋馬其頓(Macedonia )與哪些地區接壤以及它的地域政治的重要性,像個大學教授在給電視觀眾上課似的,我當時就為戈爾這位哈佛的差勁生著急。美國的政治語言是什麽樣的 呢?“Bin Laden, Wanted dead or alive"(通緝本·拉登,死的活的都要)”,就像這樣的德州酒吧裏的美國人都聽得清楚的語言。
我們為她的競選決定深受鼓舞,因為我 們中國大陸移民在美國國會無人代表。我們的後代對美國名校錄取歧視的抱怨需要有人在國會替我們說,從有限的訪談中得知,Lindy雖為民主黨籍但她持反對 美國名校歧視亞裔的錄取政策,因為她自己親身體驗過並且還有一位十五歲的弟弟。真想跨州為她投票,希望賓州的選民能夠為我們出力。她來自學術氣氛甚濃的普林斯頓而不是繁雜卻對社會和政治問題擁有激情的耶魯,這個倒確實有些令人意外。
Letter to Pennsylvania
More is thy duo than more than all can pay
By Lindy Li
America is a land of promise and new beginnings, a beacon for the rest of the world. Arriving with nothing but a suitcase of dreams, my family and I have spent fifteen years in beloved Pennsylvania. I became the woman I am today, walking its soothing slopes and reading beneath its gentle trees. That America welcomed us with nurturing arms is a debt that I can never fully repay, though my bid to serve you is the first step on a lifelong journey: to revive that “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
What does it say about who we are as a nation that the highest bidder so often prevails? We don’t elect our leaders to fundraise all day or to be sucked into the vortex of the perpetual campaign. We don’t elect them to serve special interests at your expense or to strategically posture in front of the hungry camera lens. Nor do we send them to Washington so they can grow rich in office, scaling the ladders of power. Rather, we seek leaders with integrity, moderation, and unwavering confidence, knowing that compromise is necessary in a democracy but unbending ideology is not. Herein lies the difference between a stateswoman and a politician.
I refuse to give up on our country and ask you to join me today as we breathe fresh life into the great American promise. Know that I am always by your side and that I’ll never be so engulfed by the responsibilities of office or so jaded by political realities that I’ll lose sight of why I’m there in the first place: for you and for you alone. Forever I’ll try for you and me.
Abigail Adams said, “It is not in the still calm of life … that great characters are formed. Great necessities call out great virtues.” I’m thankful that life has not been easy and that I’ve struggled for my American dream. Just as a tree can only grow as tall as its roots, so the measure of my ability is the measure of the challenges that I’ve overcome. Today the foundation beneath our glistening American dream is in disrepair, as too many flail in vain against circumstances beyond their control. Will the women, young people, and forgottens of our great commonwealth finally have a voice in the hallowed corridors of Congress, a leader with immense heart and courage, or are we going to hurtle down the familiar path of selfish gridlock and unimaginative leadership? We are the ones that we’ve been waiting for. So take my hand.
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典型的江湖習氣:不講是非,不管正義,隻認圈子。
現在仍然是普林斯頓校友的招集人之一。(召集)
現在看來,我希望她下課。