Polish Tragedy -- We Are All Poles

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Today, we are all Poles. When a tragedy of this magnitude happens, the people of the world must stand united. Ethnicity vanishes on days like this – or at least it should vanish.

If you think about, this is a week of tragedies.  First, the coal mine disaster in West Virginia – the worst US mining disaster in 40 years.  And now a catastrophic plane crash in western Russia that killed many of Poland's ruling elite.  What's next?

Try to imagine a scenario where the following people all die in one instant: president and his wife, speaker of the House along with leading members of Congress from both parties, the joint Chiefs of staff, several cabinet members along with former civil rights leaders and family members of deceased war heroes.  Can you even picture it?  This is basically what Poland just experienced with today's plane crash.

There's even greater symbolism and irony in this tragedy.  All these dignitaries were traveling to commemorate unthinkable acts of brutality against Polish intelligentsia in 1940.  The Soviets, who had occupied half of pre-war Poland, rounded up military officers and other "threats" and murdered them in cold blood near Smolensk in today's western Russia.  A total of 20,000 Poles were executed.

There's a touching collage of photos on the website of Gazeta, a leading Polish newspaper.

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