Chicago, IL – The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America unites with the Polish American Congress and the Polish American community in support of action taken against inaccurate remarks made by FBI Director James B. Comey on Apri 15, 2015.
In an unfair and inaccurate statement made by Dir. Comey at a meeting at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, he characterized Poland as an accomplice of Nazi Germany in the Holocaust and murder of millions of people.
This has caused an outcry in Poland and in Polish communities around the world and a demand for an apology and clarification of the insulting accusations.
Poland did not collaborate with the Nazi occupant. As a result of the German invasion in Poland and war operations about 18% of the Polish population (6 million – 3 million non-Jewish Poles and 3 million Jewish Poles) lost their lives in World War II, killed in battles, murdered in prisons, camps and mass executions, died from wounds, malnutrition, disease, and other causes. Poland was the only country occupied by the Third Reich in which any kind of help to persons of Jewish faith or origin was punishable by death. Despite this fact, many Poles risked their own lives to rescue Jews from the Nazis. Many Polish individuals and special units were involved and dedicated to helping Jews escape from the Holocaust.
Therefore, the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America is appreciative of the Polish American Congress and it’s National President Frank Spula, for taking action to clear these unjust and damaging remarks. The PRCUA asks its members to join the PAC, other Polish-American organizations and the whole Polish-American community to sign the petition, demanding that the FBI Director apologize and resign. President Spula’s letter and the petition can be found at www.pac1944.org.
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The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America also encourages PRCUA members to petition U.S. Senators and Congressmen to include Poland in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The Visa Waver Program allows citizens of certain selected countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, for stays of 90 days or less, without obtaining a visa. At present, citizens of 38 countries are eligible for visa-free entry into the United States. Poland is excluded from the Visa Waver Program (VWP). Why?
Poland is a great ally of the United States. Polish troops have fought alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, Poland is a member of NATO and an influential member of the European Union. For more than a decade, Poland has been requesting that its citizens be included in the program. Several attempts to create special legislation for Poland to be included in the VWP had been made by various U.S. Senators and Congressmen but have failed.
On April 20, 2015 the VWP4PL. Action Group met at the Polish Embassy in Washington to discuss a possible course of action that can be taken to elicit the help of the Polish American community to encourage federal legislators to admit the Republic of Poland into the Visa Waver Program.
Take action – write a letter to your local Senator and Congressman today!
Joseph A. Drobot, Jr.
PRCUA National President
