I was pleased to read about the Polish Mission’s project being undertaken in conjunction with the MotorCities National Heritage Area. The MotorCities organization is an affiliate of the National Park Service dedicated to preserving and promoting the automotive and labor heritage of Michigan. I think of this endeavor with mixed feelings, because the heritage in question touches me personally as one who grew up amid the car culture of Detroit and I have always been a “car guy,” but I am also much disappointed in the way that our foreign policy has squandered the productivity of the American worker and “exported” so many jobs along with the independence that can go with a strong manufacturing base. On August 21, 2010 the annual Woodward Dream Cruise will be celebrated again. This event, more than any other, showcases the automotive history of Detroit and the American love of the automobile. We can take heart from recent positive developments at our local car companies, who make progress toward creative re-structuring, but we must remain concerned as the global market continues to change.

No one would disagree that Michigan must diversify its economy, and a recent upsurge in film industry activity in Michigan is reflected in the Traverse City Film Festival which continues to grow in stature through its affiliation with the University of Michigan. Poland has a world renowned film industry, and it would be highly appropriate if Michigan’s Polonia takes advantage of the local growth of this industry.

I have to express my appreciation for the very thoughtful letter by Andy Ladak to Mitch Albom on the subject of a potentially misleading comment made by Albom in a recent program. Mr. Ladak understood that Albom meant no implication against Poland when Albom commented that Jews were exterminated there, but Ladak also realized that Albom’s innocent comment could reinforce or foster certain misconceptions among those less knowledgeable of the history of the Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis in Poland.

The first is an article on the beatification of Father Jerzy Popieluszko. In reporting the beatification, the article notes that Fr. Popieluszko’s faith had a great impact on those around him. Sharing the celebration with father Bates focused my thoughts on the great impact that so many priests have on those around them, and how that impact is so deep and yet often so unrecognized.

The second item I note is the article on the Orchard lake Schools. A primary aspect of the latest developments at Orchard Lake is the concentration of foreign seminarians, both from Poland and elsewhere, who are studying for the priesthood at our wonderful institution of Polish culture. When Fr. Popieluszko was martyred, there were many less-prominent priests who continued their ministries and kept the church viable as communism teetered and finally failed in Poland and other Eastern European countries. Father Bates is formally “retiring,” and younger priests are needed to fill his shoes and those of others who retire or pass on, but if I know Father Bates, he will be busier than ever in his so-called retirement, much like Monsignor Stanley Milewski, one of the most active retirees I have ever known. We continue to be blessed with leadership in the form of our clergy, and the next time you see one of them, maybe you should give them a heartfelt “thank you” like the one that was so well deserved in the story “The Sack Lunches” elsewhere in this issue (oops, I miscounted… that’s three items that relate to this!).

Back to the Orchard lake Schools article, I have one more comment to make before I finish. A remark was made by recently ordained (2001) priest Arthur Duchnowicz who serves the parish of Gaylord that “I wanted to be a missionary, and rural Gaylord (Michigan) looked like Northern Poland, and the terrain to serve.” When I travelled through Poland with my mother and brother Frank, I was struck by how much the rural countryside resembled Northern Michigan, with gently rolling hills and lush forests. My thoughts were echoed Father Duchnowicz, and I am pleased to be reminded of the experience.

Over the past several years since Poland became a member of the European Union, there has been much controversy over the migrations of Polish workers from Poland to other EU countries, perhaps most notably to the United Kingdom. Last year the flow of Poles into Great Britain dropped by half according to recent information. Poland’s relative health in the current economic world crisis should further stabilize the patterns of emigration.

Russia is now complaining about the deployment in Poland of Patriot Missiles along with a contingent of U. S. military manning the installation. The missile site near the Russian area of Kaliningrad was originally selected as a site for a more ambitious anti-ballistic missile system, and the switch to the Patriot missiles was seen partly as a concession to Russian concerns. The posturing continues, with Russia claiming the new facility is a violation of the NATO agreement.

Among the news from Poland you will find an item on the reduction in reading books in relation to rising internet use among Poles. Advances in technology have their pervasive effects, and a change in reading habits is not surprising. I am prompted to wonder if the survey on which the article is based included an inquiry whether computer users were switching to reading books on line. Many are now available that way, with more being added every day, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find that more people are reading from their computers. I also wonder about the general impact on literacy that may result from people more frequently communicating by E-mail and text messaging. This means more reading and writing, but in a much different form than the traditional book or letter.

Kuklinski provides us with the example of one who did what was right for his country as opposed to what his government expected of him, and one who saw that the regime and the military he worked for acted against the best interest of his country. It may have been a long time coming, but we can take heart that in the long run, truth wins out.

Another item dealing with Polish heroism is the message delivered by Pope John Paul II in 1994 at the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the battle of Monte Cassino. In that bloody event of World War II, Polish military forces succeeded in taking the heavily fortified monastery of Monte Cassino from the German army during the Italian campaign, where other allied forces had been unable to accomplish the daunting task. The message of our departed Pope speaks to the actual victory and its symbolism.

Polish diplomat Donald Tusk has received the prestigious Charlemagne Prize, which is awarded annually to individuals in recognition of their contribution to European integration. I recently commented on the importance of Poland’s involvement in world politics, and Tusk’s accomplishments toward unity in the European Union are another example of how Poland continues to gain prestige on the vital international stage.

In our publisher’s note this issue we remind those who need to that you should renew your subscription to the Polish Weekly. This is an important detail that we hope you will take care of promptly, and please remember to consider a gift subscription to a friend or relative. It’s a gift that will “keep on giving” over time, and so will be all the more appreciated.

Thomas summarizes his viewpoint with a recap of past articles and recommendations. He acknowledges the respectful disagreement he experienced from some quarters. He also noted personal criticisms, derogation and name – calling aimed at himself and, I am ashamed to hear, at his family, but there are often those negative (and in my opinion small – minded) people who attack the individual when they can’t comprehend, appreciate and even respect the ideas, even if they disagree. They are like people who “boo” and “catcall” at organization meetings when they should engage in meaningful discussion or answer legitimate questions instead.

The thoughtful Mr. Mikulski admits that at times he focused on issues that are not directly related to Polonia, but that is the point and tradition of Pulaski and Kosciuszko. “For your freedom and ours” translates to “for your good and ours.” It is a great Polish tradition which the “opposition” (might I call them “isolationists” without being considered a “name-caller?”) seems to forget. As I watch the active role that modern Poland has taken in world affairs, I can’t help but applaud that role. In spite of my personal disagreements with some aspects of Polish politics and its leaders, I appreciate that both Kwasniewski and Kaczynski understood the importance of Polish involvement in World affairs. That importance parallels the importance of Polonia’s involvement in the encompassing relationship with the rest of America, in all its ethnic diversity and common shared interests and values.

But I digress. My main thought after reading “Prelude to Liberty” is to look for a brighter future and to hope that all of Polonia shares in making it that way. Thank you, Thomas.

Another hopeful aspect of the repercussions of the plane crash is the apparent propensity to enhance the improvement in Polish – Russian relations. At several points in this issue’s content there are remarks on the irony of the fact that the Smolensk crash took the lives of some of the best of Poland’s leadership while they were en route to a ceremony to commemorate the Katyn massacre, which was another event involving the destruction of Polish leadership. The recent event was an accident while Katyn was a deliberate war crime, but the coincidence is eerie. The immediate reaction from Russia has been one of sympathy and empathy, and I can’t help but think that the consequences of the accident will do more for the possibility of better long term relations between the two countries than might have resulted if the Katyn commemoration ceremonies had taken place as planned without the fatal crash. Who knows?

As always, we must remember the tragic past, be it Katyn or the plane crash, but focus on the future, and work to make it a brighter future in honor of those who have given their lives, in one way or another.

You may think that this is a difficult thing to do, but it can be very easy, especially for an insider like yourself. Keep in mind that we don’t need a full blown article with lots of detail. We will be delighted to get a couple of sentences describing what the event is, when and where it occurs, and who are the main people involved in presenting it. A note of some small highlight or special guest is always good. Easiest of all would be a single photo with a few sentences. If we received that from half of the events that are held by Detroit’s Polonia, we would be overwhelmed with content. Think about assigning someone from your group to send something in, especially by e-mail. Once you get started, you’ll be surprised how easy it is, and you will be happy to see your activities recorded for posterity.

I am currently being enlightened by a series of articles kicked off on page 7 with the intriguing story of Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, a cold war “veteran” and figure of controversy. The impact of Poles on world affairs certainly did not stop with the end of World War II, and I look forward to future installments.

Speaking of World War II, the item on the Katyn Massacre on page 3 points out that such an infamous event continues to have relevance today, and discusses the definition and application of “Genocide” as a crime defined by the United Nations. The incident is long past, but it has not been suppressed as successfully as Russia would like.

I agree that I have not seen an alternative “strategy” to achieve the so-called “desire” for respect and influence, but there is in fact an alternative that Thomas is inherently working against. That alternative is apathy. As I see it, there is a focus in Polonia to be overly concerned with itself, and neglect its potential image and influence on the greater society of America. There is nothing at all wrong with Polonia being concerned with its own affairs, and indeed that is its primary business, so perhaps I am being overly critical, but I know that during my involvement with the newspaper and the Polish American community I have been more conscious of and more focused on the telling of our stories to the “outside” community than most of Polonia I deal with. Some take the view that we are entitled to respect and influence, while some don’t seem to care or pay attention enough to be concerned about whether we have it or not because they don’t care about the outside community. Thomas seeks to raise the awareness of the possibility that we can and should earn the respect of and influence among the wider society, and that we can benefit by it.

The saying goes that all that is necessary for the forces of evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. If we, as a whole, focus only on the concerns of our internal community of Polonia, I believe we would inevitably become obscure and insignificant. Fortunately, that would be contrary to our character and traditions (the traditions of Pulaski and Kosciusko). They will know us by our good deeds, and we will keep doing them, but we also must make them known.

The American Council for Polish Culture is once again making scholarships available for summer studies in Poland. If you read the article, you will have a small taste of the benefits and the wonderful experience that resulted for last year’s winner, Christopher Wojdak. He was able to study Polish language at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Krakow, one of Poland’s most beautiful cities. Two scholarships are available this year, and the recipients are sure to have an unforgettable time.

An outstanding day of Polish cultural celebration is in store for those who attend the Polish Folk Dance Festival at the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, Michigan this coming March 6th. See the ad on page 4. No less than 16 groups are scheduled to perform. The setting is excellent, as will be the food, and the admission fee is only one dollar. You just can’t get more “bang” for your buck!

As often happens, there is more in store for our readers in the way of music and dance. Thanks to Raymond Rolak we have a report on page 6 on the 30th Anniversary celebration of the Polish National Alliance Centennial Dancers, which took place at the Cherry Hill Village Theater in Canton Michigan. We also report that Polanie will be having a Polish Platter Dinner event at Queen of Apostles in Hamtramck on March the 14th (Yum!). The group will also perform periodically throughout the event. Both Polanie and the Centennial dancers will be at the folk dance festival.

From our good friend Father Ventline, we have sad news of the passing of his cousin, Sister Brigid Mary Ventline and his friend Barney Hallman. Our prayers are with them.

We are now embarked on the Lenten season, but thanks to Kasia Ostrowski for her report on the Ostatki celebrations in Hamtramck, I will have to remember next year to begin my pre-Lenten celebrations on “Fat Thursday.”

On page 6 you will find an article on the Yalta conference which took place 65 years ago this week. To the general American public, the conference is famous, but to Poles and Polish Americans it is infamous because it was a key event in a continuing process that resulted in Poland being “sold out” by its allies, America and Great Britain, who virtually delivered Poland into Communism by their inaction in the face of Soviet ambitions during and immediately after World War II. To understand the significance of what transpired at the conference, I highly recommend the book “A Question of Honor” by Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud. Parts of the book, which is a great “read” in its entirety, give a very comprehensive behind the scenes look at the Yalta conference and related events as they affected the fate of Poland.

Thomas Mikulski renders us another insightful look at the role Polonia could play in the context of the divisive, polarized political climate that now exists in America (page 4). Reading his words, I can’t help but think of the recent Supreme Court decision that struck down limitations on corporate and union campaign contributions. The highly partisan vote of the Supreme Court Justices in the case of Citizens United vs. F.E.C. has overturned the long standing ban on corporation contributions to political campaigns. This radical decision is contrary to long established precedent and virtually puts our political offices up for sale to corporate interests. The reason I am reminded of this by Mikulski’s article is that the current speculation is that the new campaign finance environment seems calculated to insure that the biggest campaign contributions will go to candidates who have an agenda to impose on behalf of special interests, rather than to those who will look to solving our problems by working in a cooperative way with everyone involved and finding a middle ground. It is my personal opinion, but this is just wrong.

Always searching for a ray of hope, I am very grateful for Kasia Ostrowski’s article on page 8 about the new William Beaumont School of Medicine to be established by Oakland University. It is heartening to think of the benefits in terms of new jobs and new resources that this institution could bring to the area, and it is great to think that there are leaders who will go ahead with such a new project in our current economic climate.