U.S. Senate Honors the 25th Anniversary of the Imposition of Martial Law in Poland

U.S. Senate Agrees to Resolution Declaring December 13, 2006 a Day of Remembrance to Honor the 25th Anniversary of the Imposition of Martial Law by the Communist Government in Poland

On September 22, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution recognizing December 13, 2006, as a Day of Remembrance for the 25th anniversary of the imposition of martial law by the Communist government in Poland. The Day of Remembrance honors the sacrifices of the Polish people who risked their lives in the struggle against Communist rule to restore liberty and democracy in Poland, and calls on the people of the United States to acknowledge the important role their struggle played in the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War.

"Today, the United States and Poland are close partners and good friends. As Polish troops fight side-by-side with American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, I join the American people in remembering the grim day that martial law was placed upon Poland. I honor the people of Poland, whose heroic and peaceful resistance hastened the end of the Soviet Union and the emergence of one Europe – whole and free.” said Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland who joined with Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania to sponsor the resolution. To read the full text of the resolution, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and search for Senate Resolution 579.

Full text of the resolution

RESOLUTION

Designating December 13, 2006 as a Day of Remembrance to honor the 25th anniversary of the imposition of martial law by the Communist government in Poland.

Whereas, on May 9, 1945, Europe declared victory over the oppression of the Nazi regime;

Whereas Poland and other countries in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe soon fell under the oppressive control of the Soviet Union;

Whereas for decades the people of Poland struggled heroicly for freedom and democracy against that oppression, paying at times the ultimate sacrifice;

Whereas, in 1980, the Solidarity Trade Union was formed in Poland;

Whereas membership in the Solidarity Trade Union grew rapidly in size to 10,000,000 members, and the Union obtained unprecedented moral power that soon threatened the Communist government in Poland;

Whereas, on December 13, 1981, the Communist government in Poland crushed the Solidarity Trade Union, imprisoned the leaders of the Union, and imposed martial law on Poland;

Whereas, through his profound influence, Pope John Paul II gave the people of Poland the hope and strength to bear the torch of freedom that eventually lit up all of Europe;

Whereas the support of the Polish-American community while martial law was imposed on Poland was essential in encouraging the people of Poland to continue to struggle for liberty;

Whereas the people of the United States were greatly supportive of the efforts of the people of Poland to rid themselves of an oppressive government;

Whereas the people of the United States expressed their support on Christmas Eve 1981 by lighting candles in their homes to show solidarity with the people of Poland who were suffering under martial law;

Whereas, in 1989, the people of Poland finally won the right to hold free parliamentary elections, which led to the election of Poland's first Prime Minister during the post-war era who was not a member of the Communist party, Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki; and

Whereas, in 2006, Poland is an important member of the European Union, one of the closest allies of the United States, a contributing partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and a reliable partner in the war on terrorism that maintains an active and crucial presence in Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate --

(1) designates December 13, 2006, the 25th anniversary of the imposition of martial law by the Communist government in Poland, as a Day of Remembrance honoring the sacrifices paid by the people of Poland during the struggle against Communist rule;

(2) honors the people of Poland who risked their lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return Poland to the democratic community of nations; and

(3) calls on the people of the United States to remember that the struggle of the people of Poland greatly contributed to the fall of Communism and the ultimate end of the Cold War.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:1:./temp/~c109jqOUqL::

"The 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom."

Maybe Poland can become the first former Soviet state to qualify.

As Lieutentant Kojak would say, "Who loves you baby?" Americans have loved Poles longer than the Euros. We founded the National Football League chiefly so that linebackers of Polish extraction could whump butt on the rest of us.

The Polish entry to the VWP might not be that far off. From wikipedia:

Presently (as of Spring 2006), Poland and South Korea are in negotiations to join the VWP by 2007. An amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S.2611 as it is known by its bill name) proposes a two-year probationary participation in the Visa Waiver Program to certain countries who are allies in the "war on terror.” Additional amendments require that “the country is a member of the European Union” and “providing material support to Afghanistan or Iraq.” So far Poland is the only candidate nation that has met these requirements.

The biggest issue that Poland has to getting into the VWP in the short term is the current immigration debate. Poland's entry into the VWP has been attached to various immigration bills. But most of these bills are stalled (not because of Poland). I get the sense that Congress almost unanimously supports adding Poland to the VWP, but doesn't have the sense of urgency to add it to another bill or a standalone bill. Until a real immigration bill is passed, Poland's entry will probably be delayed.

Rummy wasn't just whistling Dixie when he talked about "New Europe" vs "Old Europe".

And in fact, it is the Polish Exemplar Pope John Paul II, whose message is now transmuted through the German Pope Benedict, which is Old Europe's best hope to reinvigorate its honor and uplift.

Government bureaucracies such as our Immigration Service offer less flattering portraits of the societies they are supposed to serve, that is why America was founded on the principle of limited government, and why America should always consider itself the Nation of Immigrants.

As for me, I have encouraged my nephews and nieces in programming and law to look to the Slavic world as a great frontier.

Cheap flatters! Words are free and come easy....Many of them, like Britain or Ireland also opened their labor markets, so Poles are treated there EXACTLY the same way as the natives.

LOL! ROFLMAO! Are you f**in kidding!?!?!

Poles are treated in the UK EXACTLY like illegal aliens are treated in the US. Polish Nationals with visas in the USA are treated like every other Japanese, UK, Australian citizen.

I don't condone or renounce the current visa policy of the US, but your characterization of how well the Euros treat Poles is ridiculous. They treat them like trash labor.

And by the way, F** U. We spent the entire cold war paying for nuclear development, chrome dome, SR71's, and a bunch of sh*t we'll all never know about to free Poland and eastern europe.

Ronald Reagan defied the Bear, at risk to WHOM? The Continental United States! THAT'S WHO. We didn't do ourselves any favors their. Europe hated America for deploying intermediate nukes in Germany, or do you conveniently forget in your comfort? There wasn't any need for America to fight the USSR, except that it was the right thing to do to fight for the freedom of others.

Now we don't ask you to grovel on your knees. We ask you to live your life in freedom and quit bitching about what else we do or don't give you. Goodbye.

The hell I didn't! Vox ding dong is pissed that Poles have to get a visa to enter America. Fine. And I'm pissed I have to get one to go to Turkey. BFD.

And he's got some idiotic attitude that the UK and Euros don't require any visas for Poles, and therefore, are so much nicer.

Wrong. UK uses Poles for trash labor. They use them up and spit them out.

America treats Poland like an honet partner in the free world, not the way Jack Chirac treats them.

There are billions of AMERICAN dollars of high-tech capital flowing into Poland right now. Gimme a break.

There are billions of AMERICAN dollars of high-tech capital flowing into Poland right now. Gimme a break.

Let's not exaggerate the real impact of American investors influx. Most of all EU members but even Japanese or Chinese are much more active recently.

http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12798

"According to preliminary data, foreign direct investment in Poland reached 4.74 billion euros in the first half of the year. Those who have predicted FDI will be at 10 billion euros by the end of the year will probably not be disappointed," bank board member Jozef Sobota said. Last year, FDI fell back to 7.67 billion euros after reaching 10 billion euros in 2004. The large majority of foreign investors in Poland last year - 81% - were from the EU, which Poland joined in 2004. The head of Poland's government agency for foreign investment, Andrzej Kanthak, said there are currently 143 investment projects worth 1.9 billion euros in the pipeline, mainly in the service, electronics and automotive sectors. Japanese, U.S., British, Germany and French companies, mounted most of the projects he said."

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