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Planned Speech In
CT Brings Accusation
of “Holocaust Revisionism”

Edward Reid’s meeting at General Haller’s Veteran Club
in New Britain cancelled, as well as meeting scheduled in New York.

Speaker Edward Reid responds to an article in the Hartford Courant by Don Stacom on August 21, 2019 “Planned speech in New Britain brings accusation of ‘Holocaust revisionism’ ” (please read below)

 

Greetings,

My name is Edward Reid and am responding the article that was published about me in your local newspaper. I never meant to make such a stir in your community and that was not my intention. I was invited to speak by different Polish committees about Polish history and current affairs. I have a platform on facebook that many people follow to get their information through posts and videos and I believe that basically everything about my character and my work has been libeled.

I am not even Polish, I am an American and I do this because of my gratitude for the Polish nation and their fight for freedom and their often overlooked suffering in the holocaust. Obviously, by speaking to Poles I concentrate on their chapter in history, but that doesn’t take away from the terror and suffering of the Jews.

The absurd accusations make me cringe. White Nationalist? I also speak of the nightmare endured by homosexuals and the Roma. The German genocide was not a Jewish only incident and I believe that is why I am being made a target.

As for any of my posts, I stick to the facts and tell it like it is. The distortion of Polish history in the west needs to be addressed. Such as what Alderman Ayalon said. “Yet, my own mother’s birth town Jedwabne in southern Poland is where Poles gathered 1,700 Jews who were their neighbors and burned them to death in a barn in the summer of 1941 even before the Nazis took over Poland.” was absolutely wrong and that defames Poles.There were 340 Jews and still there is controversy over this as to whether Poles were even involved. Also Jedwabne is in northern Poland not southern Poland and the Nazis took over Poland in 1939.As you can see, the knowledge of Polish history is lacking and in my coming to speak, maybe I could have cleared some things up. He may have benefited.

There should be no shame or attacks in advocating for the Polish community and speaking of what factually happened. In my opinion, there is a bias against Poland and against talking about its history openly and patriotically. There is an agenda of shame and I simply disagree with that and for that I have been given a multitude of frightful labels.

Thank you for publishing my response,
Edward Reid

https://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-news-new-britain-holocaust-talk-20190821-cgcbaiifqfeezfpc7ale4qnnki-story.html?outputType=amp#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s

Read below letter written to Hartford Courant by organizers of the meeting with Edward Reid, Mariusz Bielski and Wojciech Mazur.

 

Connecticut 8/24/2019

Motto:

Geneva Convention states, “for atrocities on occupied territories are fully responsible occupying powers and those who made occupation possible”. The Ribbentrop-Molotow pact signed in August 1939 was a pact of aggression against Poland which in effect caused to dismantle the Polish state and law by German and Russian occupiers. In effect of this fact the all prisoners were freed and the basis to protect the polish Jews as: polish law, police and army was destroyed. Germans and Russians represented by Hitler and Stalin made is happened and are responsible for Holocaust. Other theories are false and unlawful. Articles of Geneva Convention: 1 to 12, 27, 29 to 34, 47, 49, 51…

Dear Editors and Board of Directors of Hartford Courant

As a Connecticut residents, we are outraged by current events that are aiming to limit right to free speech guaranteed in our constitution by First Amendment. We are also experiencing a violation of the Fourteen Amendment as guaranteed for equality for all.

It is very disturbing that Edward Reid as a history researcher, who spent the last ten years researching and studying the history of Europe, particularly Poland, was unjustly accused of revisionism and denying the Holocaust. All of Edward’s opinions are strictly based on official historical facts. All his statements have direct proof in historical writings that are easily accessible in public libraries around the world.

Edward Reid was planning to come to New Britain, CT in order to talk about Poland, Polish history and the horrifying realities of WW2, as well as, how that relates to current events. He loves Poland and has a deep interest to protect the truth about Poland, Polish history, Polish heroes. But his appearance was interrupted. He received many personal threats. Locations that were going to host his appearance also received many threats containing the message that if a meeting takes place, the venue will lose business or even close permanently.

City and state public officials got involved and they made their statements about Edward without verifying who he really is. They based their opinions of him on nothing more than gossip. They made judgments without verifying what kind of message he is going to deliver. He was unjustly slandered by people who don’t really know him or know his work. His right to free speech was destroyed by people who are appointed to protect it.

One of the accusers who publicly complainrf about Edward Reid’s appearance was Alderman Aram Ayalon. He stated: “Yet, my own mother’s birth town Jedwabne in southern Poland is where Poles gathered 1700 Jews who were their neighbors and burned them to death in a barn in the summer of 1941 even before the Nazis took over Poland”. This statement is absolutely inaccurate and easily could be classified as a hate speech against Poland. First, Jedwabne is in Northern, not Southern Poland. Second in the Jedwabne tragedy, around 300 not 1700 Polish Jews were killed. Everyone can Google the footage/parameter of the barn in Jedwabne where Jews were burned alive. The foundations are visible and in the middle is located the tombstone.  It cannot hold under any circumstances more than 300 people. According to Jedwabne books there was only 500 residents Jewish faith registered as citizens of Jedwabne and this is fact verifiable. Third, in 1941, Poland, including Jedwabne, was fully under German occupation, opposite to what Alderman Aram Aylon is inaccurately claiming. Poland was attacked from west by Germany in September 1, 1939 and by Russia from east in September 17, 1939. By the end of the October 1939 Poland did not exist!!!!  Official sources confirm that German soldiers were in Jedwabne on the day of the murder.

Therefore based on irreputable historical facts, we can bring another point to the discussion: About Jedwabne – There is a lot of confusion because the investigation is not finished.

The Polish nation cannot be blamed for the Holocaust under any circumstances because as the Geneva Convention states, “for atrocities on occupied territories are fully the responsibility of the occupying powers and those who made the occupation possible”. The Ribbentrop-Molotow pact signed in August 1939 was a pact of aggression against Poland which in effect caused to dismantle the Polish state and law by German and Russian occupiers. In effect of this fact all prisoners were freed and the basis to protect the Polish Jews as: Polish law, police and army was destroyed. Germans and Russians represented by Hitler and Stalin made this happen and are responsible for Holocaust. Other theories are false and unlawful.

There is a large interest of this topic as the accounts of the Jedwabne pogrom vary and more investigation and evidence are required. Actually, one of the current New Britain, CT residents is a eye witness of Jedwabne murder. She was 9 years old when that tragedy happened. She made many interviews where she gave detailed testimonials stating that Poles were not implicit in this tragedy.

Edward Reid never denied the Holocaust as some of the media outlets are trying to portray him. There is no proof of that. He never diminished the suffering of the Jewish people. But at the same he was trying to talk about the Polish suffering because for him personally it is very important.

The media also called him a history revisionist. But where is the proof for that? Where is an example? All we heard were just empty slogans. All the knowledge that Edward Reid is trying to share is strictly based on the knowledge he acquired from official historical materials available to anyone. He simply collected the facts about the history of Poland; a topic that he really has a passion for.

As we all know, history is not always pleasant. Some of the facts may be unpleasant and inconvenient to some. But these facts are real and need to be spoken about. Only on the foundation of truth, can we build a better future for all of us.

This is very disturbing and unfair to the members of the Polish Community and their guests to be treated in such a disrespectful way. Why did the public officials make such statements in order to prevent Edward Reid from having an open conversation? Is this democratic to judge someone and slander with horrible accusations without evidence? All Edward Reid was trying to do is to meet the Polish community, talk about history and have an open dialog. Would that hurt anyone? Was it dangerous? It wasn’t. These type of practices cannot be accepted or tolerated in a democratic society. They are violating our very basic rights as citizens, they violate our Constitution.

PS.

Poland is staunch ally of  the USA and the Polish people are those who through its Solidarity movement and big sons of its nation as Holy Father John Paul II and Colonel Kuklinski (defector of the Warsaw Pact who revealed Soviets secrets war plans to the USA). We Americans of Polish descent would like to see this letter as an article on the same page the false accessions were printed. Not to only rebuke the horrible facts but to invite a discussion amongst all interested parties. This discussion should be based on historic verifiable facts and in an atmosphere of friendship and understanding. There was millions of Polish citizens of Jewish faith who perished in the hands of occupying German forces and stooges who collaborated with them. Let it be dialog and not monolog swiping one side out of discussion by a very popular and unjustly used stigmatization word – “antisemitic”.

Signed by:
Citizen
Mariusz Bielski of New Britain CT
Wojciech Mazur of Stamford CT