Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2006 (18. évfolyam, 1-50. szám)

2006-10-27 / 42. szám

Former Congressman Ernie Konnyu's October 23 Speech The Blood of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution Where there is tyranny there is tyranny; Not only in the gunbarrel, not only in the prison cell. Not only in the torture rooms, not only in the nights, In the voice of the shouting guard; there is tyranny. Not only in the speech of the prosecutor pouring like dark smoke, In the confessions, in the wall tapping of prisoners. There is tyranny... On his United States visit I met in Mt. View another Hungarian poet and communist protester, Tibor Tollas, who autographed for me his book, Gloria Victis, Glory to the Vanquished. Tollas was sentenced to prison for his derisive public comments about the Hungarian communist paradise. He wrote in his poem about communist prison life a warning to the world concerning the dictatorship of the proletariat. They Walled Up Every Window Our cells are deaf, all sound is dead herein: They even stole a bit of sunlight thin for they walled up every window tight with tin. The radios shout harshly of new deals, Offreedom and justice due to man, But here my dungeoned body only feels The million lashes of foul Stalin’s plan. From Vác to far Beijing his slaves make din: „Beware! Beware!” or through the entire world They’ll wall up every window tight with tin. U . S . Senator John F. Kennedy, said in his October 23, 1957, speech on the first anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution: “October 23, 1956, is a day that will live forever in the annals of free men and nations. It was a day of courage, conscience and triumph. No other day since history began has shown more clearly the eternal unquench­­ability of man’s desire to be free, whatever the odds against success, whatever the sacrifice required.” Here I stand in a church today, a Hungarian born former U.S. Con­gressman, quoting a great political leader, John Kennedy. Indeed I am expressing our political thoughts about the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Yet in the Hungary...yes! the Soviet Union dominated communist Hun­gary... of the 1950s such expression could have gotten us, commemora­­tors, a jail sentence or worse. For our anti-state activities we could have been hung by the neck and left twisting in the wind. And all that for political expression that did not adhere to the Stalinist line demanded by the ruling Party Chief, Mátyás Rákosi, led Communist party of 1950’s Hungary. Jail? Hang? They would not dare the skeptic in you would say. Just for political expression? Well! If that is the question in your mind, let me ask what do you think caused the 1956 revolt of the Hungarian students and the workers? Yes! The communist run world would dare. And they would dare to do so even with the highest of high. The 1950 American movie, Guilty of -Treason starring Charles Bickford, told the story of Cardinal Josef Mindszenty, the Roman Catholic cardinal of Hungary, who spoke out against the Commu­nist regime. The top religious leader of the country, Mindszenty, was arrested, tortured, found guilty of treason against the state, and jailed. The Cardinal was eventually released to a half-way house but he continued to be monitored under house arrest by Rakosi’s secret police. The revo­lutionaries released him but, when back under the communist regime, he eventually took refuge in the US Embassy in Budapest. The Kadar regime and his gang smiled at that because the Cardinal could not lead his church from the embassy. As we watch history roll by us we can see how Hungarians learned to hate Communism. Ronald Reagan in his 1987 speech in Arlington defined the hate developed for com­munism this way, “How do you tell a communist? Well! It’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-communist? It is someone who understands Marx and Lenin.” The protesting Hungarian students and the proleteriat workers were forced to read Marx and Lenin by the government. As a result they understood so they marched in pro­test, called out for economic change and for removal of the occupying Soviet troops from Hungary. They knew the danger they were creating for themselves but desperate people do desperate things. So what could the repressed citizens in a failed economy of 1956 Hungary do but revolt! On October 23, 1956, the people were led by students who sensed no political free­dom after graduation. They were led by factory workers who saw no eco­nomic hope. Their wages were so low and their freedoms were so limited that leaving their jobs to face Soviet tanks seemed like a wise choice. Charging with rifles and Molotov cocktails, first hundreds, than thou­sands than tens of thousands of brave Hungarians exploded in harms way. It was magnificent! That charge caused the dictatorship to fall for even the rulers sensed that the people were with the freedom fighters! The Hun­garian Army joined the side of the Revolution with it’s leader, General Pal Maleter. The general announced that he will accept the orders of the provisional government now headed by the popular former prime minis­ter, Imre Nagy. The commanding Soviet general listened to the Revo­lutionary leader’s demands for Soviet troops to leave Hungary and they abandoned the streets of Budapest to the freedomfighters. By October 30 the revolution appeared totally victorious! Prime minister Imre Nagy declared Hun­gary a democratic republic and the country announced it’s military neutrality by abandoning the Soviet run Warsaw Pact. That stroke seem­ingly destroyed for the first time in the Soviet block of countries one key national column propping up the Soviet hegemony in central Europe. The Hungarian poet, Lajos Tamási, expressed the Magyar sacrifice rthis way in a portion of his poem, titled Red Blood on The Streets Of Pest: Beneath the tricolor above We make a solemn threefold vow: First, we must sorrow for the dead And second hate the tyrant now. And third, a pledge for this small land, Let those who still with life are blessed. Remember: Freedom has been bought With blood upon the streets of Pest. To the sorrow of the Revolution, victory was short lived. The Soviet Red Army attacked Hungary in force on November 4, 1956, and crushed the newly born legitimate govern­ment. Thousands of Hungarians were killed during the fighting or afterward in judicial murders carried out by the new Soviet created puppet government of Communist Party Chief János Kádár. 1 visited the former Foreign Minister of the 1990’s free Hun­gary, Géza Jeszenszky, who was originally scheduled to speak here today. Jeszenszky wrote of the 1956 Revolution in his September 30, 2006, Toronto University speech the following: „No doubt, it was the finest hour in Hungary’s long and chequered history. Gloria Victis, (That is, Glory to the Vanquished!) all honest observers felt.” DUNA Travel 8530 Holloway Dr. #102 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 SPECIÁLIS ÁR LAX-BUD-LAX $566.-tÓl +TX. az ár szeptember 3-tól érvényes Információért hívják ZSUZSÁT TEL: (310) 652-5294 FAX: (310) 652-5287 _____________________1-888-532-0168_____________ Október 27, 2006 Ms. Szörényi Goes to Washington! Éva Szörényi, one of the greatest actresses Hungary has ever known, recipient of the prestigious Kossuth Prize, and chief organizer of „Remember Hungary 1956” preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight, has been invited to the White House. The actress, who has had health problems in the past few months, will be accompanied by his son Tamás on this great journey. The White House reception will take place on Saturday, October 28, and it will include the showing of Andy Vajna’s Children of Glory (Szabadság, Szerelem). The man behind Rambo, Terminator 3 and Evita produced a recreation of Hungary’s 1956 revolution and concurring bloody battle in the Olympic pool in Melbourne. Once upon a time, there was a movie called “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. Jimmy Stewart’s character went to the capital to fight for the freedom of his people from the tyranny of rich developers. Eva Szörényi is going to be honored for a lifetime of fighting for the free­dom of her native Hungary from the Soviet-Communist tyranny. Éva, we love you and we are proud of you! - j -PROCLAMATIONS HONORING OCTOBER 23 AS HUNGARIAN FREEDOM DAY Minnesota Proclamation The Governor of Minnesota, The Honorable Tim Pawlenty has issued a PROCLAMATION on October 12 declaring “October 23, 2006, as Hungarian Freedom Day in the State of Minnesota”. Reported by László G. Fulop, MH/ MBK/HAC/AHF MH Secretary - Architect & Planner Minneapolis, MN 55436 Tel/fax: 952-930-0043 http://minnesotahungarians .onza .net ww w. mbk.org Washington Proclamation Dear Readers, The Governor of Washington, Christine Gregoire also issued a PROCLAMATION to declare October 23 Hungarian Freedom Day, as have Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle,WA, Rosemary Yves, Mayor of Redmond, WA, and Ava Frisinger, Mayor of Issaquah, WA Best regards, Helen M. Szablya, Consul Consulate of the Republic of Hungary P.O.Box 578 Kirkland WA 98083, USA Tel: 425-739-0631 Fax: 425-739-6931 E-mail: szablyahj@aol.com Web: www.szablya.com California Proclamation Dears László & Minnesotans, Thank you and congratulations! We in turn are notifying you that at our request, US Senator Bar­bara Boxer, US Senator Diane Feinstein, Governor Arnold Schwar­zenegger, the California Legislature, and MayorGavin Newsom of San Francisco have issued a Proclamation / letter of Congratulations. EVA E. VOISIN, Esq. Honorary Consul General of Hungary, with jurisdiction in North­ern California and Nevada. MAIL: P.M.B.157, 205 De Anza Blvd., San Mateo, California 94402-3989. OFFICE:30 El Camino Real, Suite 204,San Mateo, CA 94401-3862 * Telephone 650.573.7351 Facsimile 650.573.7355 * evoisin@ix.netcom.com ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ A MAGYAR NEMZETŐRSÉG még életben lévő tagjai szeretettel hívnak mindenkit november 4-én az Emlékműhöz „GYERTYAGYÚJTÁSRA” - déli 12 órától. Délután 3-kor IMÁT MOND Nt. NAGY BÁLINT, majd ÜNNEPI EMLÉKBESZÉD. Még egyszer utoljára így emlékezünk azokra a bajtársainkra, akik 50 évvel ezelőtt a szabadságunk védelmében életüket áldozták. Jöjjön, emlékezzen velünk és hozzon egy szál gyertyát. Figyelem! A CSÁRDÁSBAN naponta friss mákos és diós BEJGLI kapható! Tie jfájiadjon otthon a auIqaaqI - hiApm nálunk megkaphatja kéApm! (fidwtL nélkülit is készítünk! (323) 962-6434 JAZZ AT THE CSÁRDÁS Hollywood’s Finest Hungarian Restaurant MONDAY NIGHTS 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm The smooth sound of JAZZ presented by THE IT A RMON V CLUB featuring... Pianist: To Be Announced Bassist Tom Pedrini and Drummer Steve Hideg Csárdás Hungarian Restaurant 5820 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood (Corner of Melrose & Vine) 323-962-6434 No Cover / No Minimum Speech by former U.S. Congressman Ernie Könnyű (R-Saratoga) to those assembled at the October 21, 2006, Grand Opening of the 50th anni­versary commemoration program on the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The location is the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, California. Ernie Könnyű is a Hungarian born American residing in Saratoga, Cali­fornia, and is a former member of both the United States Congress and the California Legislature. Könnyű secured the funding and the location of the statue “Gloria Victis” erected in the San Francisco located state office build­ing courtyard in memory of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution while he was a state Assemblyman. Telephone: 408-446-0702 (H) 408-244-3299(W) ■ AMERICAN Hungarian Journal ment of prisoners in his poem titled, “One Sentence On Tyranny”: Nnoted Hungarian poet, Gyula Illyés, describes the horrible treat-

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