LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (03/24/96)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Re: "objectivity" of war crimes book

Dear Editor:

Re: "Book on alleged war criminals creates controversy in Canada" (February 18): The author of "War Criminals in Canada," Mr. J. McKenzie, claims to be "objective," yet he made no attempt to contact any Ukrainian Canadian organization with respect to the obviously still-controversial issue of bringing alleged war criminals in Canada to justice. Hardly an example of research skills at play.

And since he thanks Sol Littman and the Wiesenthal Center for their support he can hardly claim to be unaware of the fact that there was an organized and, thankfully, effective response to the "grossly exaggerated" claims made by some Jewish organizations on this subject.

As for the cartoons that Mr. McKenzie laces his tract with, they are not only misleading (by implying guilt, as the one of the late Mr. Kupyak does) but crude.

The fact also remains that the publisher, Detselig Enterprises, did receive a grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage to publish a work of remarkably poor quality that does identify, stereotype and defame the good name and character not only of individual Ukrainian Canadians but of our community as a whole. Ukrainian Canadian taxpayers may well wonder how their hard-earned dollars are being spent.

About the only "positive" comment one can make is that, typically, the product of Mr. McKenzie's pen and frenzied imagination is of such a low quality that it is very unlikely that anyone will take it seriously. Except, of course, for those self-styled "Nazi hunters" who continue to insist that their are lots of bad lads amongst us. But then they must, if they are to go on collecting their salaries for being "Nazi hunters."

Lubomyr Luciuk
Kingston, Ontario

The writer is director of research of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Halychyna-Quebec comparison ludicrous

Dear Editor:

The letter to the editor by D.H. Struk (February 11) contains, in my opinion, his personal and biased interpretation of history rather than facts.

For example: his view on Ukrainian-French relations in Quebec and the Polish minority in Halychyna. To equate the situation in Quebec between French-speaking Canadians and Quebec minorities, to that of Halychyna's native Ukrainians and the Polish colonists who were specifically resettled into Halychyna, is ludicrous.

French-speaking Canadians who arrived on this continent somewhat earlier than many of us, should not, in my opinion, have the right to impose their will on the rest of Quebec's population any more than the rest of Canada to impose its will on the province of Quebec.

It is high time that the politicians of the English and French side of the equation got together and worked out a solution beneficial to both communities throughout Canada.

Why is it that the remaining third of Canadians of neither English or French origin have not up to now figured in this debate?

I, for one, would not wish to see the Balkanization of Canada or its aftermath.

As for Ukrainians being labeled "unprincipled" by Mr. Primak (February 7), I would suggest that he was speaking on his own behalf and not for Ukrainians collectively.

He certainly did not speak for me.

Stephan Pasternak
Brossard, Quebec

You can't compare Halychyna, Quebec

Dear Editor:

In a letter of February 11, D.H. Struk wrote about "similarity between Quebec's plight in Canada and that of Ukrainians in Halychyna under Poland."

As the editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, D.H. Struk should know better. Under the Polish rule between the two world wars, Halychyna never had the prerogatives of Canadian provinces. It had no provincial legislature, no executive entity, and was not permitted to hold a referendum to choose its political status. The Ukrainian language had no standing in the government, unlike the French in Canada, much less any claim to primacy. The Polish government, to its eternal shame, permitted only one or two Ukrainian secondary schools to exist for the entire Halychyna. An analogy to the status of Quebec is egregious, and also foolish.

Boris Danik
North Caldwell, N.J.

Time to get involved, become empowered

Dear Editor:

We Ukrainian Americans have, are and will contribute to America by actively taking part in democracy; I am proud to actively serve in the Republican Party as a precinct delegate and encourage everyone to consider becoming one. We are the people who have contributed and are contributing to a better community, city, state and America.

We need to further our commitment for a better world by using our strongest weapon - our vote. We need everyone. Become a precinct delegate. Form a Ukrainian American Republican/or Democratic coalition. Get people to understand that we need one another by maintaining our heritage, religion, organizations and freedom to be all that we can be for each other.

Get involved. Let's empower ourselves!

Roman Kuropas
Warren, Mich.

About Ukrainian attitudes and Quebec

Dear Editor:

It is interesting to note that before 1991 the Ukrainian community often compared Ukrainian nationalism and Quebec nationalism. Since Ukraine is now independent, Quebec is compared to the Crimea.

For Quebecers/nationalists it was somewhat ironic to see how eager the Canadian government was to recognize Ukrainian independence, while remaining refractory to the fact, as D.H. Struk mentioned (February 11), that "the French are a distinct people, a nation within Canada."

Francine Boulet
Inverness, Quebec

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