LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (06/22/03)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

National deputies are a disgrace

Dear Editor:

It was very disheartening to read the story in The Ukrainian Weekly, "Ukraine's vice prime minister calls on Rada to seek recognition of Famine as genocide." The Communist faction in Ukraine's Parliament, by clinging to the old Stalinist lies, refuses to support the proposal to ask the United Nations to recognize the 1932-1933 Communist-engineered famine in Ukraine as genocide or a crime against humanity. It is shameful that after 11 years of Ukraine's independence, such outcasts still hold seats in the highest legislative body.

For many years, the Ukrainian diaspora worked hard promoting the liberation of Ukraine from the Communist yoke. And what came back in return? The Communists and their collaborators brought upon the people unlimited corruption, mafia activities, severe unemployment, meager salaries or no salaries at all for those who are employed, poor nutrition, widespread alcoholism the uncontrolled spread of infectious diseases, inadequate health care and a high mortality rate. Concurrently, their neighbor from the North acquired a large number of Ukrainian industries, businesses and communications media, such as radio, television and the press. The Ukrainian language and culture are being pushed aside, and the Russification process is in a full swing just like in the past. Those who dare to raise their voice in opposition are often murdered or die in staged car accidents.

Just as in the past thousands of Ukrainians were escaping from the "Soviet paradise," now thousands of people are leaving independent Ukraine because conditions are such that they are unable to support themselves or their families. Family lives are being damaged or destroyed, many young women are falling into slavery, and thousands of children are suffering. This is the tragedy of what was once the rich country called "the breadbasket of Europe."

If those who still cling to the disgraced Communist ideology and those who are lavishly enriching themselves at the expense of the common people remain in power, then the future of Ukraine will be dark, very dark. Now, the diaspora can say one thing: Wake up, people of Ukraine! Wake up! Your whole future is at stake!

Michael J. Kozak, MD
Minneapolis

"Fiction Channel" needs researchers

Dear Editor:

Loved your piece on The History Channel (Editorial, June 1), or as I have called it "The Fiction Channel." I, too, watched with anguish and disgust and shouted at the television, "Who researched this stuff? Did they use my ninth grade history textbook (published in 1977) again? (You know, the one with all of the fictional accounts of Russian history as dictated by the Soviet government and its paid experts, like the ones both in Russia and Ukraine who today are rewriting history again.)"

Please allow me to point out a few more things to The History Channel. In 1988 there was a historic commemoration in Rome during which the pope celebrated one country's 1,000th anniversary of Christianity. Can you guess the country? Here's a hint for you: the pope also visited this same country on June 25-27, 2001, and declared to the world that this country and no other was the Mother of Christianity to all of the Slavic nations that followed in history. Give up? It's Ukraine. It was not Russia, as you stated. In fact, Russia didn't even exist in 988. It wasn't until the late 13th century that the Muscovite principality even came into existence. Muscovy is the historic name of Russia. The name "Russia" (Rossia) wasn't adopted by its tsars until the 18th century under Tsar Peter I, who proclaimed his state an empire.

From just the few instances that were pointed out in The Ukrainian Weekly, it is truly mind boggling that with all of today's technology and global reorganizing, The History Channel has proven itself to be truly backward and uneducated in the fact that it seems that no one in their organization had even picked up a current atlas to know that Kyiv was, is and remains the capital of Ukraine. This alone would have tipped them off and sent them to research centers such as Harvard which could have given them an accurate and historically correct sequence of events in reference to the tsarist tyranny the channel was marketing.

Come to think of it, if only The History Channel had called me, I would have helped them with some of their research. I may not have a doctorate in history but so far I'm doing much better than those guys over there.

Lillianna Chudolij
Clifton, N.J.

Let's sponsor Weekly subscriptions

Dear Editor:

We recently witnessed the importance of having the word spread about Ukrainian issues, especially through the efforts of The Ukrainian Weekly. We all know that we can't leave it up to The New York Times or whatever metropolitan paper we have in our vicinity to represent Ukrainian issues clearly.

The Weekly is a well prepared publication, with extensive footnotes and resources. It's a publication we can be proud of, and it covers national, international and local issues. Isn't it about time we began a campaign to sponsor The Weekly for our senators and congressmen?

Surely someone in that office will at least peruse the newspaper in search of clippings, as they generally do, to provide the official with up-to-date information.

So, let me start the ball rolling by sponsoring The Weekly for Sen. Jon Corzine.

I hope others will follow.

Camilla Huk
Nutley, N.J.

Scandals at Times and odious past

Dear Editor:

The recent scandals (Jayson Blair, Rick Bragg, et al.) at The New York Times are just a reiteration of the odious reporting of Stalin-lover Walter Duranty in the 1930s.

But not to worry. The Times will survive its current lack of integrity, as it has in the past. Meanwhile, leftists, liberals, an other useful idiots will continue to support The New York Times.

Walter Lesiuk
Santa Monica, Calif.

| Home Page |