Moja miłość do Polski

In the spring of 1940, the Soviet Secret Police murdered about 22,000 of Poland’s finest: soldiers and officers, professors, landowners, laywer, officials, priests, and various intelligentsia. Today this is known by the term, the Katyń Massacre. Many of them were murdered and buried in the Katyń Forest in what is today Russia. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union during World War II, they discovered the atrocities and publicized it. But years later the Soviets “rewrote history” and blamed the Nazi Germans, a view they officially held until the demise of the Soviet Union in 1990. Though today the massacre is acknowledged by Russia, they heap all blame on the Soviets and Stalin. The crime has never been declared a war crime by them, nor any investigation done of the perpetrators.

It was a dark day for Poland, a country at the center of the battle in World War II, to lose the elite, the cream of the crop. Postwar Poland suffered for it. But, amazingly, the Poles are of a hearty spirit. It took over 50 years, but now Poland is a shining star in Europe, responsible for starting the processes that ended the domination of the Soviet Union and ended with the overthrow of communism and an end to the cold war.

So tonight I once again saw the movie Katyń. It is a powerful and very well done movie, quite moving. Great direction, scenery, acting, and story, the lives of several victims of the massacre as well as their families are woven together in a moving tribute to the recurring words, and admonition to “remember.” It’s very moving, and well worth your time. And, in the process, you’ll learn a bit more about the history of Poland, the history of a nation that, against great odds, has survived and sprung back time after time against all odd, a testament to a great an noble people. And, I’m proud to say, my roots are Polish. Tonight I can say and feel, “Jestem Polakiem.” I feel it. I know it.

On May 3, 1971, the polish Sejm (parliament) adopted a constitiution. It was the first constitution of its type in Europe and the second ever in the world–second only after that of the United States 4 years earlier.

The Polish Constitution was groundbreaking in that it sought to balance the power of the nobility with the interests of the townspeople while bringing government protection to the peasants and thus mitigating some of the worst abuses of serfdom. It was truly a great attempt to create equality among all Poles.

Unfortunately, Poland’s neighbors, not really relishing the thought of equality–didn’t like it. It was a dangerous concept to them, one they feared would spread and bring justice and freedom and equality to their totalitarian/monarchical/anarchistic countries. And even within Poland, some of the nobility and rich landowners did not like giving up there control. So when their former friends, neighboring countries Prussia and Russia banded together to defeat Poland, that effort was joined by some Poles. This was called the Targowica Confederation coalition of Polish magnates and landless nobility who opposed reforms that might weaken their influence. King Stanisław August Poniatowski eventually capitulated by joining the Confederation. And so, because the powerful nobles got together with Poland’s now enemies, the partitioning of Poland began. Sad, very sad. Do this day, to be called a “targowicanin” is to be called a traitor.

And so, the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 was in effect for a mere 14 months and 3 weeks, but for the next 123 years of partition, it remained a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty. The authors of the Constitition called it “the last will and testament of the expiring Country.”

Of course, like Paul Harvey would have said, you already know “the rest of the story.” After 123 years of partition, Poland emerged after World War I (about 1920) as a sovereign nation once again, only to be defeated and beat down while its “friends” and “allies” watched at the start of World War II. And, though it emerged as a so called “free” (under Communist domination and control) country for the next 45 years, in 1990 Poland again regained its real sovreignty in 1990, led the world in the rejection and rebuke of Communism and it’s socialist ideologies, and today is one of the great nations of Europe, solid and strong–and proud. Truly an amazing history. And, if you don’t understand and know history, you’re in danger of repeating it…..