Posted on 02/11/2007 12:58:52 AM PST by XR7
Opponents of Poland's former communist regime reportedly want to pay a posthumous homage to US President Ronald Reagan by erecting his statue in the place of a Soviet-era monument.
In an open letter to the mayor of the southwestern city of Katowice, the former anti-regime activists said that the staunchly anti-communist Reagan had been a "symbol of liberty," the Polish news agency PAP reported.
As a result, they said, he deserved to become the centrepiece of the city's Freedom Square, replacing a monument to the Soviet troops who drove out the occupying Nazis in 1945.
They also said that they wanted the site to be rebaptised "Ronald Reagan Freedom Square."
City hall spokesman Waldemar Bojarun said that Katowice's councillors would consider the issue.
Bojarun said that he had "enormous respect" for Reagan.
However, he said, the proposal could cost an estimated 500,000 zlotys (128,000 euros, 168,000 dollars) and the city had "other pressing needs."
There are already separate plans to erect a statue in memory of Reagan in the centre of the Polish capital, Warsaw, which would be paid-for from private funds.
Reagan, who dubbed the Soviet Union an "evil empire," is widely credited by Poles with having driven communism to the wall.
The conservative Republican made fighting communism the cornerstone of his 1980-1988 presidency, and backed Poland's Solidarity trade union after it went underground when the regime declared martial law in 1981.
Reagan died in June 2004 at the age of 93.
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
i think bush is being realistic. While poland is a great ally, they're also a developing country and don't have first world type of security arrangements (something along those lines.)
" Yet, U.S. immigration policy forbids Poles from freely traveling to the US, imposiing draconian visas that no other free country must comply with. What is the deal President Bush? "
Huh ? I was happily unaware of this . Crazy .
If the Poles changed their names to Gonzales and Ramirez, El Jefe would probably let them in, no questions asked.
However, he said, the proposal could cost an estimated 500,000 zlotys (128,000 euros, 168,000 dollars) and the city had "other pressing needs."
I'd gladly donate to this cause.
G-d Bless 'em!
As opposed to our wonderful ally, Mexico
bttt
GRRRRREAT news!
Polski pingi.
And that country used to be marred with monuments to Lenin and Stalin. What a different world for Eastern Europe than the one we saw in 1980 and a statue in Poland for this great man is entirely appropriate.
Oh, that explains it. They need to come up with a security arrangement like we have on the Mexican border, right? Yeah that makes sense.
Lenin Statues of the WorldLINK: http://www.connection.se/hem/anders/resor/lenin/When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Lenin statues were pushed over and beheaded as a symbol of the society's new openness. (That means in the countries occupied by the Russians). In Russia Lenin statues are however still a common sight. Most cities have at least one statue of Lenin and it is usually placed at Lenin square at the most central location. Small towns (up to 20 000 inhabitants) usually have an ugly low budget version or a bust instead. On this page I have put together the Lenin statues over the world that are known to me. If you have information about other surviving Lenin statues, please mail the author: Contact information Please note that in my mind the communistic system was b-a-d and this page is NOT a tribute to Lenin and it´s not a political site...Very likely the typical tourist picture taken by a westerner visiting mother Russia would be: To make that touristic one standing beneath Lenin and imitating him pointing out the way to the perfect society with his giant hand while the other hand is holding his ridicolous but cute cap. When shooting your picture the locals laugh and laugh and some drunkards might even yell at you for taking this, in their mind, very stupid picture...
One of the world's bravest people as well. I've always had a soft place in my heart for the Poles.
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