Letters:
and Articles >>
Mon, 03 Apr 2006 Ladies and Gentlemen:
In reference to my previous email requesting action regarding the removal of the "Partisans" sculpture from the Boston Common (read - S.T.), please note the below story that gives an update on the situation. It seems a compromise position has been reached.
I am still convinced that there are too many people who have know idea what the sculpture represents and I hope that the Polish American Congress and other Polish American organizations will continue to try to further enlighten the American public (highlight by S.T.) on its significance.
I was deeply affected by this affair along with other things that are happening in American politics. As a result, I have made a decision to move back to my home state of Massachusetts and run for the U.S. Congress 1st Congressional District seat. During my campaign, I intend to use this issue as one example of the importance of remembering significant contributions made in the cause of liberty. You may be interested that another part of my campaign will be to propose broadening and deepening the special relationship with Poland.
Thank you for any efforts you made on behalf of the "Partisans" and also for your continuing endeavors on behalf of all Polish Americans.
V/R
William H. "Billy" Szych
________________________________
Polish 'Partisans' find a new home
Work will move to the waterfront
By Ralph Ranalli
Boston Globe
March 29, 2006
It was admired and praised, cursed and maligned, and after an uneasy
23 years among the American iconography of the Boston Common,
disassembled and thrown into storage. Now, at last, officials say
they have given ''Partisans" a home.
The controversial sculpture of haggard horsemen, inspired by Polish
freedom fighters, will be displayed near the new Institute of
Contemporary Art on the South Boston Waterfront, officials said
yesterday.
Calling the sculpture ''one of the hallmark pieces of sculpture in
this city," General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas of the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority said the new location on the plaza above
the Silver Line's World Trade Center Station would be highly visible
and a fitting spot.
''By working cooperatively with the City of Boston, the Polish-
American community, and the artist, I'm convinced we have identified
a superb site for this symbol of freedom," Grabauskas said.
Everyone involved seemed relieved by the decision yesterday,
including the sculpture's California-based owners and city officials,
who had sweated letter campaigns and protests from crowds of angry
Polish-Americans since its removal from the Common earlier this year.
The artist, Andrew Pitynski of Brooklyn, N.Y., said, ''My heart is on
Boston Common. The partisans were freedom fighters, and the Boston
Common was the right place for them."
But, he said, he feels ''very positive, very good, and very happy"
that his work had found a place to be seen.
The sculpture has had an unsettled history in Boston. Meant to depict
the heavy price that must be paid for liberty, the commemoration of
underground fighters who battled the Nazis, the Soviet Army, and then
Polish Communists (highlight by S.T.) during and after World War II struck
a chord withPolish-Americans and others in the city, who successfully
lobbied tokeep it on the Common for more than two decades, despite the
fact that it was only supposed to be there a few months on temporary
display.
For years, however, historical purists and some Beacon Hill residents
agitated for its removal, saying that the Common should be reserved
for works that depicted Boston and American history.
Its removal in January prompted a small furor, with nearly 150 Polish-
Americans descending on City Hall Plaza a short time later, waving
red and white Polish flags and shouting their outrage at the Menino
administration.
MBTA officials stepped in shortly after the city removed the
sculpture, saying they would find a home for it, possibly at a subway
station.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday that the new location is ''a
growing area of the city where [the statue] can still be enjoyed."
The owners of the statue, the nonprofit Sculpture Foundation,
yesterday praised the decision by the MBTA to adopt the ''Partisans."
''We are grateful to everyone who has participated in this project,
especially to the Polish community of Boston for their support of
artist Andrew Pitynski and his work," said Sculpture Foundation
director Paula Stoeke.
The extended loan contract between the Sculpture Foundation and the
MBTA will probably be for a period of three years, renewable by
mutual consent.
Honorary Consul Marek Lesniewski-Laas of the Polish Consulate in
Boston said the monument reflects the history of Polish-Americans,
some 300,000 of whom reside in the Commonwealth.
''We are heartened and persuaded that the MBTA will be a good host to
the 'Partisans' and that it will effectively promote the visibility
of the monument," he said.
Pitynski said yesterday that he plans to travel to Boston to help
with the reinstallation of the structure and for its rededication. He
said he has seen the site, with its panoramic water views of Boston
Harbor, and loves it.
But it still rankles him that his work's Beacon Hill detractors won
the battle of Boston Common, he said.
''Look, I am American; I am the same kind of American as these snobs
from the Boston Common," he said.
''I am a better American, because I have a better appreciation for
freedom."
~~~~~~~~~
Thu, 23 Mar 2006 Mr. Frank Spula
President
Polish American Congress
Chicago, IL 60646
Tel: (773) 763-9944
Fax: (773) 763-7114
Dear Mr. Spula:
Recently, I believe you received a letter from Szymon Tolak who appealed to you for PAC help in restoring the "Partisans" sculpture to its rightful place in the Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts.
I am a new member of the PAC--a fourth generation Polish American, native son of Massachusetts, and a retired officer of the U.S. Armed Forces. I am also one of those who participated in the March 5th protest march in Boston. I had the honor of addressing those assembled at the end of the route in Government Square in the heart of Boston, the Capitol City of my home state, and the very cradle of American liberty and home of the famous "freedom trail".
To this day, the Mayor of Boston, Mr. Menino, has not responded to any of the letters written to him from the state division presidents of the Polish American Congress in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Southern California, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
I totally agree with Mr. Tolak that a national protest, led by you, in solidarity with and on behalf of Boston Polonia, is now needed.
A few days ago I was walking through Arlington National Cemetery visiting the grave of one of my old commanders, one of the 220,000 graves at Arlington. At one point a big black stone caught my eye even though it was set back from the road at a good distance. I concentrated my stare and recognized it as the grave of Lt Col Urban, who, as you know, is one of this country's most decorated WWII heroes.
I would like to believe that if Lt Col Urban still lived, he would have marched with us in Boston earlier this month. I imagine this would be the case because people like Lt Col Urban knew the true "price of freedom" and what Polish and Polish-American servicemen and Polish Partisans did to advance the cause of freedom.
Ironically, this was not the first time I have marched through the streets of Boston. Almost exactly one year prior to this year's protest march, I marched with representatives of the United States Marine Corps as they, along with the Veterans of one of the most famous and bloodiest battles of WWII, commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. I was there representing my father who was a veteran of Iwo Jima and who had taught me to appreciate the role that Polish Americans had made not only at Iwo Jima but in every major campaign of WWII.
I can't help but feel that the removal of the Partisans sculpture is a serious step in trying to forget what happened during WWII and a direct affront to father's service and the collective service of all, including the "Partisans", who defeated the forces of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. And like Lt Col Urban, if my father had been alive, he would also have marched with us to have the Partisans put back where they belong.
Let us use this gross mistake in Boston to remind and educate America about the "Partisans" and of organizations like the Armia Krajow, and the Lesni. But most of all, let us work together to have the "Partisans" restored to a place of honor.
Since I live here in the Washington D.C. area, I would be glad to volunteer to help organize such a protest or do anything else to help restore the Partisans sculpture to its rightful position.
Very Respectfully,
William H. Szych
Lt Col, USAF Retired
1801 Crystal Drive, Apartment 1106
Arlington, VA 22202
571-438-0401
( Please note: Coverage of the protest march can be found at: http://www.viapolonia.net/polboston
~~~~~~~~
Thu, 23 Mar 2006 Mr. Pitynski,
I hope this finds you and your family in good health and spirits.
I want to let you know what an honor it was for me to march along with you and Szymon and the rest of the group on March 5th.
In response to Szymon's email at the bottom, last night I wrote an email to the President of the Polish American Congress. I also intend to write Gov. Romney and a few other government officials including President Bush.
I forgot to send you a courtesy copy of my email, so here it is.
Very Respectfully,
Billy
~~~~~~~~~~~
OPEN LETTER - 02/23/06List otwarty:
Do
przytomnych Amerykanow, a zwłaszcza tych polskiego pochodzenia!
Jeżeli
w pomniku widzisz tylko kupę żelastwa, w konstytucji tylko
rozmazany na papierze atrament, to w ludziach nie zobaczysz nic poza masą gotową do manipulacji? Kim wtedy
jesteś?
Pomnik
„Partyzantów” - Polaków jest przedstawieniem niezłomności
człowieka. Po latach, wbrew wszelkim oczekiwaniom, polscy synowie
partyzantow przynieśli swym marszem „Solidarność” i w
konsekwencji niepodległą Polskę, oraz wolną od totalitaryzmu
Europę. Pisali żywą historię opuszczonego, zdradzonego,
rzuconego na polityczną pustynię narodu, który
zwyciężył moc o wiele większą od siebie bez przemocy,
nie krzywdząc przy tym nikogo. Dziedzictwo zwycięstwa dźwiga
jednak ze sobą ciężar odpowiedzialności, rzecz jakże
niełatwa. Wizerunek „Partyzantów” też nie jest łatwy i jak znak
krzyża – kontrowersyjny . Komu on przeszkadza?
Minął ponad miesiąc od momentu
gdy nagle, 18 stycznia 2006, po 23 latach, zniknęła rzeźba A.
Pityńskiego z Boston Common, głównego parku stolicy Nowej Anglii.
Rozpisały się gazety, prezesi oddziałów Kongresu Polonii
Amerykańskiej kilku stanów, przedstawiciele organizacji polonijnych,
wreszcie zwykli mieszkańcy zwrócili się do urządu burmistrza
miasta w tej sprawie. Autorytet przedstawicieli polskiej grupy etnicznej w USA
został położony na szali. Ostatecznie, jest to minimum
oczekiwane przez reprezentantow wielotysięcznej Polonii, że
urząd do ktorego się zwracają okaże im należny
szacunek, odpowie na list, zaprosi na spotkanie. Fakty są jednak inne,
zaprzeczają słowom samego prezydenta USA o poszanowaniu Polski i
Polaków.
Podjęto społeczne działania
ale,....biurokratyczna machina zdaje się niewzruszona, taka sama bez
wzglądu na ustrój, historię czy geogrfię. Z tego powodu sprawa
wyrosła na poważniejszą niż początkowo sądzono.
Pojawiło się nowe wyzwanie. W świecie ludzi zabijanych z powodu
gazetowej karykatury, usuniecie bez uszanowania całego pomnika nie
można przecenić, to po pierwsze. Po drugie, to samo dotyczy
autorytetu przedstawicieli Amerykanów polskiego pochodzenia, wyrzucanego na
śmetnik. Gdy obywatel zdaje sobie sprawę, że z jego podatków
utrzymują się służący mu urzędnicy nie może
on tolerować ignorancji lub arogancji władz. Urzędnik nie
może pozwalać sobie na bezkarne akty pogardy wobec tych, którym
powinien służyć, bo traci prawo do urzędu i wynagrodzenia.
Tylko „logika” komunistycznych ideologów może twierdzić inaczej.
Przeciwko tej „logice”, ponownie z Polski,
wywodzą się obrońcy historycznej prawdy i demokratycznego
porządku. Zadziwiające jest, że taką walkę trzeba
podejmować w kraju, który pragnie mianować się
demokratyczną redutą świata!
My wszyscy, a zwłaszcza nasi
reprezentanci, zdecydowaliśmy się walczyć o prawdę w
historii i o szacunek do Polaków przedstawionych w pomniku „Partyzantów”. Jest
to także droga troski o szacunek do siebie samych i troska o tych co
przyjdą po nas. Musimy w pełni zrozumieć znaczenie
podjętego zadania aby wytrwać. Z niełatwego szlaku „Partyzantów”
- Polakow nie uda się nam zawrócić bez tragicznych, nie tylko dla
nas, konsekwencji.
Szymon Tolak,
PolBoston.com, Canton, Massachusetts,
20 lutego 2006, (edycja z dn. 11 marca 2006)
~~~~~~~~~
February 21, 2006The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor, City of Boston
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
Dear Mayor Menino:
Having anticipated at the least a courtesy response to our Committee's January 25, 2006 letter addressed to you concerning the removal of the Partisans sculpture from Boston Common, the regrettable and conspicuous absence of any response -- timely or otherwise -- from you thus far is very upsetting and clearly insulting to say the least.
Understandably, the “Committee for Preserving the Partisans Sculpture in Boston” is now forced to form several conclusions resulting from your personal silence in the matter, not the least of which is that perhaps your Administration may not be concerned about the Partisans-related sentiments of the hard-working, industrious, peaceful, law-abiding, and civic-minded members of Boston's Polish American community and its friends state wide and nation wide.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 is but a few days away. It will benchmark a month's anniversary of the Committee's aforementioned letter being sent to you. If as the old expression goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so too are the inferences resulting from the continued inexplicable absence of a personal response from you in the matter of reaching an amicable resolution satisfactory to Boston's Polish Americans and their friends concerning the Partisans sculpture.
At this point, the Committee informs you that it is forced to initiate other actions, not as proverbial supplicants but rather as voting citizens of Boston and the Commonwealth, in pursuit of a resolution acceptable to the Polish American community of the City of Boston.
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Bajdek
President, Polish American Congress of Eastern Massachusetts
President, American Association of the Friends of Kościuszko at West Point
National Vice President for American Affairs, Polish American Congress
~~~~~~~~~~
Sun. March 12, 2006A. Pitynski sent a copy of "The Trentonians" to us:
"Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has declined repited requests by letter and petition to meet with the activists, Polish leaders say. Meninos office did not return two calls from The Associated Press seeking comment." (The Trentonian, New Jersey, 03/12/06)
~~~~~~~~~~
January 25, 2006 The Honorable Thomas M. Menino
Mayor, City of Boston
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
Dear Mayor Menino:
The Committee for Preserving the Partisans Sculpture in Boston respectfully requests a personal meeting with you to discuss the matter of the removal of that sculpture from the Boston Common last week. Unfortunately, its removal has created a public image of the City in the recent press that runs against the grain of your ongoing hallmark commitment “to make the City work for all Bostonians,” a commitment that is deeply appreciated by the Polish American community.
The Polish American community and its friends and supporters simply seek an equitable and timely resolution of this unfortunate episode involving the Partisans sculpture, a reasonable expectation indeed for the loyal and productive good citizens of Polish ancestry in Boston. We ask that the City work for us as well as everyone else. Therefore, we submit to you our serious concerns and ask for your help in placing the Partisans sculpture in a prominent location at the center of the City of Boston.
In addition to the signatory, the Committee members are the Rev. Miros³aw Podymniak, O.F.M. Conv., Pastor of Our Lady of Czêstochowa Parish, Attorney Marek Leśniewski-Laas, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland, Dr. Andrzej Proñczuk, President of the Polish Cultural Foundation, Inc., Darek Barcikowski, Publisher of the White Eagle/Bia³y Orze³, Marcin Bolec, President of the Polish American Networking Organization, and Roman A. Pucko, Judge Advocate of the Polish American Veterans of Massachusetts, State Department.
The Committee requests that the meeting take place at your earliest convenience. Please have your staff communicate with me directly at (508) 429-1305 or at A.J.Bajdek@verizon.com for facilitating a mutually agreeable date.
Thanking you in advance for your consideration and timely response to our request, I am
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Bajdek
President, Polish American Congress of Eastern Massachusetts, Inc.
President, American Association of the Friends of Kosciuszko at West Point, Inc.
National Vice President for American Affairs, Polish American Congress, Inc.
~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Frank Spula President
Polish American Congress
Chicago, IL
Dear Mr. President:
This letter is written on behalf of all the demonstrators taking part in the first Boston Polish Partisans’ Trail walk and on behalf of those Polish Americans writing to
www.polboston.com, expressing their outrage and disappointment after the Mayor of Boston, without notice, allowed the removal of A. Pitynski’s “Partisans.” This removal occurred after the sculpture had a 23-year presence in the Boston Common.
To this day, Mayor Menino has not responded to any of the letters written to him from the state division presidents of the Polish American Congress in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Southern California, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
The demonstration walk on March 5th in Boston at City Hall was organized by me. Over 150 people participated along with the PAV Post 13 from Chelsea and Post 37 from South Boston. Local Polonia in Boston needs support and decisive action from the National Office of the Polish American Congress. A coordinated national protest by Polish Americans in the USA on behalf of Boston Polonia is needed. We have the right to preserve our memory and history for future generations of all Americans. This is in their vital interest.
More information is available at www.polboston.com, go to Polonia’s Protest or www.viapolonia.net/bost_petition_jan_06.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Szymon Tolak
Ordinary Polish American Citizen
(and Polboston.com's Editor)
_____________________________________________________
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