Page 2 News of Polonia Pasadena, California June 2009 Was Miss California, Carrie Prejean, free How the I remember my mom and step-dad, The Enemy within. to speak her beliefs, without adverse Andrzej contemplating what to do with all By: Dariusz Zakrzewski consequences? When last did you hear Soviets Won the Solidarność insignias that decorated At the core of our civilization is our your representative ask, if we are not the Cold War our apartment as they heard that others’ reverence for truth. Be it in the realm of enslaved to a toxic friendship, that walls were completely destroyed when the religion where God is Truth or an depletes our resources, reputation and (Part 1) police could not find what they were understanding deeply woven into our values? Would anyone have enough looking for. Andrzej convinced my mom culture, that without truth, all rationale is courage to even bring up the topic for By: Justyna Ball not to hide anything. They decided to futile. discussion? Should any topic and any leave everything out in the open to… http://justyna-polishdelight.blogspot.com/ It may seem so obvious, or so elusive, that alliance in politics be taboo and off prevent the ruining of their kitchen tiles bringing it up can be regarded as limits? Would it not be rational to ask for for which they worked so hard. pointless. “What is the Truth?” Pilate the cost and the gain? How the Soviets Won the “Whatever they decide to look for they asked and chose to condemn an innocent Apparently not, despite of the wisdom Cold War (Part 1) will find it no matter what,” and my man. To what degree did his attitude of our forefathers who wrote “When, in mom’s kitchen was her pride and joy… reflect our own? Are we willing to the course of human events, it becomes It took my old neighbor, Kasia and me a The kitchen that Andrzej renovated sacrifice others for lack of resolve? necessary for one people to dissolve the while to remember the name of the himself with the money from his German Soul searching is not exactly our political bonds which have connected kawiarnia/coffeehouse that we used to job assignments called “delegacja.” The national sport. In fact we are not very them with another, and to assume among frequent. “Aromat” was the name, and the engineering firm for which he worked good at it. Is it because we are so utterly the powers of the earth, the separate and building was located right at the sent Polish teams to design plumbing in convinced, that we are better and can do equal station to which the laws of nature intersection of Puławska and Rakowiecka German hospitals (both Eastern and no wrong, or is it, that quest for truth, is a and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent St. in Warsaw. Western Germany), they were paid better path too narrow to travel? “We hold these respect to the opinions of mankind Right next to it was the famous Moskwa there (especially in Western Germany), truths to be self-evident, that all men are requires that they should declare the movie theatre immortalized by the even and we in Poland were to keep his Polish created equal, that they are endowed by causes which impel them to the more famous picture: The image of a salary! their Creator with certain unalienable separation.” billboard on the side of the building, a My uncle Wojtek ran an illegal rights that among these are life, liberty If friendship with any nation becomes a SKOT army tank and a group of soldiers newspaper “distribution center.” To help and the pursuit of happiness.” These all dogma beyond discussion, can we as a warming up at the coal pit. It was pay for the newspaper he started a too familiar words of the Declaration of people consider ourselves still free and December’81. Martial Law was just “moonshining” business which also Independence are not only the binding sovereign? What about the recent announced on the 13th, and the billboard helped explain the constant visits of element upon which we rest our national holocaust of the Palestinians, what about said… “Apocalypse Now.” The title of people. identity, but a source of pride and a Iran? Is any discourse possible anymore, the movie by Francis Ford Coppola. Wojtek and Andrzej were quite a duo, defining moment of understanding of who beyond the official version? Does being The picture that circulated the globe, amateur carpenters and mechanics. In the we are as a people. The question is, do we patriotic mean “Hold the course!” was taken from above the corner store of evenings after work they bought car parts truly believe in the massage they contain? regardless of consequences. What is our the building on Puławska St, and was by from dismembered car dealers and Does “all man” really mean ALL MAN, tolerance for dissent and capacity to find Chris Niedenthal, the son of Polish constructed a small Fiat 126p from or just the chosen people among us? out and reason? immigrants who settled in Great Britain. scratch! They did everything by One of the liberties we take for granted Claiming high moral ground requires a As a correspondent to Newsweek, themselves and even painted it in two is freedom of speech. The notion that firm belief in the values we proclaim our Niedenthal began his assignment in tones. Poland in the late 70s, by taking pictures ideas can freely be shared with no own and deeds, that make them genuine. Never underestimate the power of the of illegal churches. The government did imposed limits, as long as they are truthful If we ourselves do not profess them, does mind of Polish people. and “fit to print” is a right, most of us it surprise, that no one else believes us not allow building any so farmers built There is nothing that Poles cannot do… strongly identify with and consider one of and our intentions? We as a nation have them, brick by brick, inside their barns, ZOMO units walked in twos, some with the foundations of this Republic. lost our way. The fundamental problem later destroyed the barn and the church dogs. My girlfriends and I sometimes Democracy as a form of government is a here is not how to change what needs stood there, and the government could do would spend time at “Aromat” sipping total farce and fallacy, if information upon changing, but our resistance to learn, nothing… “fusy” (coffee grounds) and smoking. which decisions are based, are doctored where we have gone wrong. “Know After the public TV announcement by Back then everybody smoked and coffee and false. Thyself” is the beginning of all wisdom Gen Jaruzelski, “Polki i Polacy, was always served black with coffee What exactly constitutes freedom of and the most important obstacle to the Obywatele Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej grounds in a glass, Turkish style. The coat speech? Does a man shouting in the question why, we as a nation, have failed. Ludowej! Zwraca sie do Was Wojskowa room attendant (every respected kawiarnia desert, where no one will hear, exercise Stating that “The King is naked” is no Rada Ocalenia Narodowego… “Poles had to have one!) unofficially sold his right of free speech? Is a communist reason to get offended and to consider it woke up to a new reality. It’s one thing to cigarettes to customers. At the “Kiosk free to praise the works of Marx or America bashing, yet so many of us do. It complain and predict and talk about (Newstand),” you could only buy Polish criticizing capitalism endowed with the seems the hubris we share, makes us upcoming danger, and anticipation… and cigarettes: Caro, Carmeny, Popularne, blessings of liberty? You may judge these immune to constructive criticism. How another to actually experience it and lose while at the kawiarnia, the assortment was questions absurd, but is this not, what has are we to fix anything, when we refuse to that feeling of hope... It’s that uncertainty much greater: Marlboro, Pall Mall, become of our fundamental right we call examine the causes? The crisis we are in, of tomorrow that scared people, as before Camel, Stuyvesant, Dunhill, or French “freedom of speech?” is not about economy, as much as it will we were all saying “we don’t know what Gitanes or Gauloises. If my friends the future will bring,” but on this day you Too far fetched? Consider a few issues. Zakrzewski to page 16 chipped in, we could poison ourselves truly did not know what will happen with… class. Soldiers came in from the tomorrow or even in the next hour. cold and always bought Popularne. Curiosity was intertwined with fear. NEWS OF POLONIA Phones were cut off, schools were Pulawska Street from Sobieskiego - A MONTHLY PUBLICATION closed, events cancelled, and pretty much that was my neighborhood. I spent my childhood years in the 2245 E. Colorado Blvd. #104/177 – Pasadena, CA 91107 everything stood frozen. The gas stations Zoliborz district with my “single mom.” Tel: (626) 577-9797 Fax: (626) 449-3331 stopped serving gas to private citizens. At E-MAIL – [email protected] first, we were not sure what was allowed My mom met my step-dad at work on and what was not. Large group gatherings “Fat Thursday” (you know how when you Editor in Chief: Betsy Cepielik (more than six people) were forbidden, are a single mom everyone wants to fix Polish Section, Editor-in-Chief: Zbysław (Bish) Petryka (323) 766-0026 and a “police hour” was imposed.