LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (02/22/04)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sen. John McCain deserves thanks

Dear Editor:

I am a Ukrainian American. Since childhood I have heard about the plight of Ukraine and its citizens while under Soviet rule. I have seen first-hand the results of this rule since my company has proudly contributed to the rebuilding of a free Ukraine and conducted business in Ukraine.

I write to you today to bring to the attention of your readers an article written by William Saffire in a recent issue of The New York Times and carried by newspapers throughout the United States. The article relates to a recent security meeting held in Munich.

What is most important is the fact that during the most recent meeting the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov threatened to back out of an agreement limiting the size of Russia's armed forces on Russia's European front. In response, U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona called Minister Ivanov to task. Mr. Safire wrote that Sen. McCain accused "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin's regime of a 'creeping coup' against democracy within Russia, as well as a campaign to intimidate and reassert control over states - from the Baltics to Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine - that our victory in the Cold War had liberated from Soviet rule."

When challenged by Minister Ivanov, Sen. McCain responded: "Under President Putin, Russia has refused to comply with the terms of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe. Russian troops occupy parts of Georgia and Moldova ... Russian agents are working to bring Ukraine further into Moscow's orbit. Russian support sustains Europe's last dictatorship in Belarus. And Moscow has ... enforced its stranglehold on energy supplies into Latvia in order to squeeze the democratic government in Riga."

All freedom-loving people, but especially Ukrainians and people of Ukrainian descent wherever they may reside, should stand, cheer and encourage the position taken by Sen. McCain.

Make no mistake about Sen. McCain's reference to Mr. Putin's "creeping coup." It is real. It is supported not only by President Putin and the Russian defense minister, but also by the Russian ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, who has continued to be a disruptive force by meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs in its move toward independence and democracy.

Let us not wait until the "creeping coup" has succeeded and then ask how, after having tasted independence and democracy, Ukraine could re-enter a sphere proven to be so destructive to Ukraine and it's people. I encourage all Ukrainians and your readers to contact Sen. McCain and others like him, to ask and thank them for their continued support in opposition to Russia's ambitions.

Peter D. Senkiw
Dayton, Ohio

Sports Illustrated's misrepresentations

Dear Editor:

I would like to inform you of the troubling trend in the magazine Sports Illustrated, which writes that Ukrainian athletes are Russians. In the February 16 issue of Sports Illustrated, Scorecard section, an article about Lenox Lewis' opponent, Vitali Klitschko, states that Dr. Klitschko is Russian. As we all know, he is Ukrainian not Russian. Earlier, in the February 9 issue of Sports Illustrated, an article appeared that stated Viktor Petrenko's protege, Oksana Baiul, is Russian. As we all know is she is Ukrainian.

Although neither article was particularly flattering regarding Dr. Klitschko or Ms. Baiul (or for that matter Mr. Petrenko), I felt that it was important to notify the Sports Illustrated editor of their errors.

Indeed, it is important to continue to be vigilant, despite Ukraine's 13 years of independence from the Soviet Union, regarding these types of errors, so that everyone understands that Ukrainians are NOT Russians and vice-versa.

I ask that you and the readers of your excellent newspaper also call the attention of the Sports Illustrated editor to these errors. The e-mail address is: letters@si.timeinc.com; fax, (212) 467-4049. The letters should include the writer's full name, address and phone number.

Andrew Dmytrijuk
Alexandria, Va.

Congratulations on return of frescoes

Dear Editor:

The January 4 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly carried the story "Frescoes return to St. Michael Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv." I wish to congratulate the St. Andrew's Society of the U.S.A. for all their help in making this a reality by raising the necessery funds to help Ukraine. Once again the government of Ukraine did not assist in this task.

Hopefully, the remaining 15 frescoes will soon also be returned to their rightful home - Kyiv.

Len Krawchuk
Winnipeg

President Bush's injurious strategy

Dear Editor:

President George W. Bush's strategy to make America insolvent by creating horrendous budget deficits for years to come - through destructive tax cutting - and thereby undermining the financial base of Social Security, Medicare and any national health insurance initiatives, has been in the works since his first day in the White House.

This is the view of a growing number of political economists, liberal and conservative, including Princeton's award-winning Paul Krugman in his new book "The Great Unraveling" (W. Norton & Co.).

While tanking America's economy in net job losses and plunging the value of the dollar, the ideological zeal of the Bushista regime fits admirably with the privatization of Iraq's oil assets - effectively dividing the spoils among U.S. oil companies. If the oligarchs did the job in Russia (although Vladimir Putin may yet have his say about that), Dick Cheney and the American oil cartel-nostra figured they can clean up in Iraq - while doubling the price of your heating oil and gas in the U.S. over the last 18 months.

The decision to invade Iraq was ready the day George W. Bush took office. Witness the account of Paul O'Neill, secretary of the treasury, who was fired for not being "a team player," according to Ron Suskind's "The Price of Loyalty," (also aired by "60 Minutes").

The path of deception to the pretext for war was smoothed hugely by fear-mongering which Mr. Bush and the GOP radical right-wing have been stoking since 9/11, even though the Iraqi dictator had nothing to do with the attack on the Twin Towers. The patriotic mantle has been usurped and "the war on terror" has been milked to the point of becoming stale even with Mr. Bush's most naive adorers. Eventually, the lies about Iraq's presumed weapons of mass destruction were blown wide open.

President Bush's appalling record made even the Rev. Al Sharpton (of Tawana Brawley fame) look like a statesman by comparison. Says Mr. Sharpton: "Patriots don't lie to their people and don't fabricate phoney weapons of mass destruction."

Indeed, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The president who has done more harm to America than any other in recent memory is almost certainly on the way out come next November. The destruction of America's civil society (the FDR legacy) by George W. Bush and the neo-cons will, most likely, be averted. ABB - Anybody But Bush - is emerging as the Main Street poster of the year, as more people realize that they have been had.

Boris Danik
North Caldwell, N.J.

My favorite read: columns by Tracz

Dear Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to say a few things about what I like about the paper. Perhaps the thing I look forward to the most is reading the occasional columns by Orysia Paszczak Tracz. Not only is Ms. Tracz a splendid writer, but she has an incredible knowledge of Ukrainian folk culture and a wonderful ability to make it relevant to all of us, especially those of us who haven't necessarily grown up understanding all of our traditions. When I read her stories, I never fail to feel closer to our heritage - she speaks profoundly to us and our hearts. She is truly a priceless resource. I just wish her columns would appear more often.

Secondly, I would enjoy more coverage of soccer in Ukraine. Soccer is clearly the No. 1 sport in Ukraine, and there's a lot going on there. I am sure that The Weekly would be able to find someone in Ukraine who could write about soccer news.

As the election campaign in Ukraine nears, perhaps the most critical one in the young country's history, I hope that The Weekly will continue to report on politics and economics. I receive www.ArtUkraine.com's Ukraine Report by e-mail, and found this week's piece on petty corruption in Ukraine by Volodymyr Hrystutenko of Lviv incredibly interesting, insightful and useful. I would love to see more articles like that in the paper.

Martin B. Tatuch
Arlington, Va.

Kerhonkson school 'ties up loose ends'

Dear Editor:

Your end-of-year "Tying up loose ends" request (Editorial, December, 2003) was the final inspiration/push that I needed to get to you the following little story about our Kerhonkson, N.Y., Ukrainian School and dance group. I've also enclosed a photo. Thanks for spreading the word about us!

Kerhonkson is well known to the Ukrainian community for being home to Soyuzivka and the beautiful Holy Trinity Church. Less well known, but special just the same, is our Ukrainian School/ Ridna Shkola and dance group.

Every Saturday morning, under the direction of Olha Rawluk, Ridna Shkola is home to over 30 children age 3 to teens. They come from as nearby as down the road to as far away as Newburgh and Port Jervis. The parochial school is housed in the Holy Trinity Church hall, where the children learn the language, literature, history, songs, etc of their Ukrainian heritage. The children are divided into four different classes, taught by Nadia Maczaj, Eva Panchyshyn, Mary Panchyshyn and Mrs. Rawluk.

After morning lessons and a quick snack, the children spend an hour learning Ukrainian dance under the friendly but firm tutelage of mother-son team Elaine Oprysko and Andy Oprysko. December always brings a visit from Sviatyi Mykolai; March is characterized by celebrations of the life and works of Taras Shevchenko. This year there are even plans for Easter season hahilky.

In between there's time for singing, crafts, playing and socializing. The children have displayed their dance talents before various audiences, including Soyuzivka's summer guests and local seniors.

The school invites local families to join! Stop in on Saturday morning, or call the Holy Trinity Church parish office, (845) 626-2864, for more information.

Nadia N.S. Maczaj
Ellenville, N.Y

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