LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (10/08/06)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Remembering a devoted teacher

Dear Editor:

I was very saddened to read about the passing of Roman Drazniowsky. He was an accomplished man and many of his achievements were mentioned in the obituary I read in The Weekly.

He was also a very special soul who knew how to reach across generations. Many people in our community wonder: "De nashi dity?" [Where are our children?], but few ever do anything meaningful about it. Dr. Drazniowsky was one who did.

One night in the 1970s I was in "Orchies" (the Orchidea restaurant on the Lower East Side) with several friends when the conversation turned to "Ukie School" and what a bore it had been. The man in the next booth could not help but overhear us. He got up and without threatening or condemning us, asked: "Hey, you think you could do better?" "Sure!" we replied. He then challenged us to give him details.

When we seriously did, my friend Maria wound up teaching geography and I - literature, since the man was Dr. Drazniowsky who had just been appointed director of the Saturday School. It was one of the hardest things I ever did, and I probably learned more about Ukrainian literature that year than I had in all my years of schooling.

But what was most important was my relationship with my students. I was in my 20s then, only a few years older than the students I taught. We shared the same assumptions and spoke the same language. That year we together discovered a whole new understanding of some very special writers from a very far away place called Ukraine - thanks to Dr. Drazniowsky.

Vichnaya pamiat, and thanks.

Virlana Tkacz
New York

A distorted view of political system

Dear Editor:

The comments written for "View from the Trembita Lounge" by Taras Szmagala Jr. and titled "Party and personality" (September 24) present a distorted picture of American and, for that matter, any political system. A presidential candidate is indeed approved by the party and advertised as the best person to lead the nation, but it still is the individual's personality that carries the day.

How that individual secures such an appointment is up to his ingenuity and his immediate support. The party's role is to provide finances, while the candidate and his team and handlers do their thing.

The American election process is especially nasty because after George Washington's presidency, every election was marred by distorted information and outright lies that are now commonly referred to as "rhetoric." Rhetoric, lies and smear statements have been improved to the point that, to assure a party's re-election for the next term, they continue to be used between election years.

This practice is having a most devastating effect on the electorate, apparently creating a desired confusion of facts. One such practice is to cut the truth and run with lies.

We should also not overlook the influence that big business and other organizations have on legislation through lobbying. Mass demonstrations play their part in national politics.

Claims have been made that in past elections votes have been cast by deceased individuals or by repeated voting by the same individuals. We also know that obstructions are created by the party in power to reduce votes in the opposing party's districts through omission of voters' names, and to discourage voters by creating long waiting lines, as well as by lost ballot boxes, delayed opening of polling places, etc. We all know the allegations as to what happened during the last two elections in Florida and Ohio. In addition, the party in power tries to redistrict voting areas in order to minimize the influence of citizens who support the opposing party.

The above service provided by the party makes it obvious that a president should be grateful for getting elected and adhere to the party's platform, but when his lies pertain to national policy, whether with or without the party's approval, he must face the consequence: an impeachment.

Most of these "democractic" manipulations have been noted and applied in Ukraine during the past elections. It is encouraging to note that the initial list of over 50 parties in Ukraine have shrunk to a handful. The only disappointing factor that begins to appear is that as time goes by voters' participation in elections is decreasing.

Bohdan Slabyj, Ph.D.
Brewer, Maine

The Rusyn issue, once again

Dear Editor:

In the 1980s the question of the national identity of Zakarpattia residents was widely discussed in the Ukrainian press in the U.S. (See "Rusyns, Rusini and Ukrainians," by Ivan Holowinsky, Svoboda, No. 89, 1982.)

Leading scholars, e.g., Vincent Shandor, Vasyl Markus, John Fizer, Petro Stercho and others had presented data beyond doubt that Ukrainians and Zakarpattia Rusyns share an identical language, history and culture.

Recently, however, a few politicians in Zakarpattia are attempting to resurrect the question of the Rusyns' national identity. (RFE/RL Newsline, published in The Weekly, October 1). Two variables are complicating this problem.

One is a psychological trait common to Ukrainians, namely stubornness. In the past this trait helped Ukrainians resist outside occupation. "Rusyn yesm i Rusyn budu," became a proverbial statement. The same trait is counterproductive in a democratic open society.

The other variable is related to the political interests of Russia, which attempts to weaken Ukraine by every possibly means. In this context, every Ukrainian will agree with Dr. Mykola Zhulynsky that "Rusyns are part of the indivisible Ukrainian body." It is not too much to expect that current chief of staff of President Viktor Yushchenko, Viktor Baloha, himself a native of Zakarpattia, will agree with Dr. Zhulynsky's assessment.

Ivan Z. Holowinsky
Somerset, N.J.

We welcome your opinion

The Ukrainian Weekly welcomes letters to the editor and commentaries on a variety of topics of concern to the Ukrainian American and Ukrainian Canadian communities.

Letters should be typed and signed (anonymous letters are not published). Letters are accepted also via e-mail at staff@ukrweekly.com. The daytime phone number and address of the letter-writer must be given for verification purposes. Please note that a daytime phone number is essential in order for editors to contact letter-writers regarding clarifications or questions.

Please note: THE LENGTH OF LETTERS CANNOT EXCEED 500 WORDS.

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