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The Ukrainian Weekly
November 28, 1999, No. 48, Vol. LXVII
Message received from First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. (The text below was
not read at the memorial gathering at St. Patrick's Cathedral due to time
constraints.)
I regret that I am unable to be with you today for the solemn commemoration
of one of the great human tragedies of this century. Previous commitments
prevent my attendance. You are, however, very much in my thoughts.
The Ukrainian Famine imposed by Joseph Stalin upon millions of innocent men,
women and children caused truly "harvests of sorrow." Today we remember
those innocent victims and in their honor recommit ourselves to expand the
circle of human dignity and recognize that we are all God's children. We
must work to protect human rights and ensure that the basic human needs of
all the world's people are met. If this violent, war-filled century teaches
us anything, it is that whenever the dignity of one of us is threatened, the
dignity of all of us is threatened as well.
Today Ukraine is on the road to democracy, but the journey is far from over.
As Ukraine undergoes its historic transition, Ukraine is struggling to
overcome the terrible legacy of the Stalin era and its Communist successors.
Many of Ukraine's children and their families are still suffering from the
effects of the Chornobyl disaster. In the face of great hardship, they and
many others struggle to make a better life.
So that democracy and freedom may thrive and economic prosperity may
flourish, we must help Ukraine to build a civil society where democratic
values live in the hearts and minds of her citizens. Together we must walk
with the Ukrainian people, into the next century and millennium -
remembering the past, keeping the memory of the famine and its victims
alive, honoring the survivors and striving every day that such atrocities
will never be repeated. As President John F. Kennedy said, "on earth, God's
work must truly be our own." Vichnaia Pamiat!
The Ukrainian Weekly, November 28, 1999, No. 48, Vol. LXVII
http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/1999/489919.shtml
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