Empire State Building gives ‘Mother Teresa’ treatment to Polish military hero
By ANISaturday, October 2, 2010
NEW YORK - Furious Polish Americans have accused owners of the Empire State Building of giving one of their Revolutionary War heroes, General Casimir Pulaski, the Mother Teresa treatment.
They claim their request to honor General Pulaski tonight by lighting the tower in the Polish colors of white and red was shot down without explanation.
Last week, the iconic building was illuminated in the German colors yellow, red and black to honor General Frederick Von Steuben, who like Pulaski, fought alongside George Washington.
“I don’t think it’s right,” the New York Daily News quoted Richard Zawisny, chief organizer of the Pulaski Day Parade, which kicks off tomorrow.
He added: “A lot of Polish-Americans feel very hurt.”
“This is a blow to all Polish-Americans,” added Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, consul general of Poland in New York.
“We are very saddened that the [building] is very selective in recognizing fairly the NYC ethnic groups, especially those parading in Manhattan,” Junczyk-Ziomecka added.
Building owner Anthony Malkin, who took all kinds of heat from Catholic groups and city leaders for refusing to light up the tower for Mother Teresa, did not respond to requests for comment.
Up until two years ago, the tower was regularly lit up in Polish colors on the eve of the Pulaski Day parade, the organizer said. (ANI)
