June 9th, 2011 – Today, Harry Wu attended the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s Fourth Annual Commemoration Ceremony & Wreath Laying. Despite the hot sun, there was a sizeable number of people in attendance, including a number of ambassadors from Eastern European Countries. This ceremony and the statue itself are dedicated to remembering the millions who died under Communist rule. It is a solemn reminder that people everywhere must never stop fighting for freedom and justice.
Victims of Communism Statue
The ceremony began with an invocation by Reverend Arne Panula, Director of the Catholic Information Center. Lee Edwards, the Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, continued by reminding everyone of the importance of remembering those who died as a result of Communism and educating future generations of the dark history, philosophy and legacy of Communism. He ended with an inspirational story about Dr. Milada Horakova, a courageous national heroine in the Czech Republic. She was a defender of social justice and equal rights and today remains an icon of freedom and justice.
Lee Edwards giving opening remarks
The next speaker was Aldona Wos, the former Ambassador of the U.S. to Estonia. She talked about the importance of words and how, “Words of encouragement can often provide hope.” She reiterated the importance of teaching future generations of the true horrors that arose from the communist ideology, “for without knowledge of the past, how can we correctly interpret the actions of the present and guide the path of the future?”
Annette Lantos, the Chairwoman of the Lantos Foundation, reminded us that, “freedom and justice are birthrights of every human being.” Paula Dobriansky, Former Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, encouraged all peoples to renew their commitment to the struggle for freedom and democracy.
Thomas Marsh, the sculptor of the Victims of Communism Memorial statue, discussed how even though the original statue created by students in Beijing was destroyed by a tank, the image never really died, as it was replicated and recreated by artists all around the world. As a matter of fact, this image has become a very well known representation of freedom and democracy.
The wreath presentation ceremony was a time to pay respect to the millions who have died as a result of Communist rule.
Harry Wu of the LRF presenting flowers