The Ukrainian Weekly 1993

N0.49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5,1993NEWS AND VIEWSOn judging John DemjanjukSpeech delivered by Michael Warder, Reno, opposed the decision of the court.executive vice-president of The Rockford Their representatives argued in front ofInstitute, on October 30 at the annual the Cincinnati federal judges that even ifmeeting of the John Randolph Club San Mr. Demjanjuk was not the notoriousMateo, CalifThe trial of John Demjanjuk is, quitesimply, the trial of the century. The warcrimes of which he is accused and thesubsequent legal proceedings span threecontinents and 50 years. Think of it! Halfa century! Mr. Demjanjuk was swept upfirst in Stalin's Red Army during WorldWar П when his country was attacked byHitler's Nazi Germany. Captured by theGermans, Mr. Demjanjuk then wasplaced in prison. Years later, in a legalproceeding that is now 18 years old andfilled with the passionate emotion ofCommunism, Nazism and war crimes,we the public are invited to sit in judgmenton a man and what he did in 1942and 1943.John Demjanjuk would most likely bedead now, were it not for his faith andthe passionate support of his family andthe Ukrainian American community.Indeed, this simple sentence may be mosttelling for those of us who would seekjustice. Innocence and hiring a goodlawyer may no longer be enough, if theyever were.In 1986, at the time of his loss ofAmerican citizenship and deportation toIsrael, Mr. Demjanjuk was positioned inthe media as the Adolf Eichmann for anew generation. Through the testimonyand evidence presented in Jerusalem athis trial, the historical facts and thelessons of the Holocaust would be preserved,renewed and passed on. Mr.Demjanjuk, the Ukrainian peasanttumed-Cleveland-autoworker,would begiven a fair trial and then hung.Amazingly, the wheels of injusticeground to a halt, while the wheels of justicebegan to turn.It is also to the credit of the Israelijudicial system that Mr. Demjanjuk wasfinally set free. True, it is a curious freedom,since he now lives under a deaththreat and with the continual protectionof our FBI. Mr. Demjanjuk's enemiesknow where he and his family live. Still,the Israeli Supreme Court, under tremendouspressure, on July 29, overturned anApril 1988 verdict of an Israeli court thathad found Demjanjuk guilty of warcrimes. After seven years in solitary confinementin a cell lit 24 hours a day, witha video camera always watching, Mr.Demjanjuk was set free.Perhaps even more amazing than thedecision of the Israeli Supreme Courtwas the unanimous ruling a few dayslater of a U.S. Federal Appeals Court inCincinnati, This court found that theJustice Department's prosecution of theDemjanjuk case was, and Ї quote, "carelessat the very least." The implication tothis curious use of language was that ifthe prosecution was "careless at theleast," then, at the most, the JusticeDepartment, and more specifically itsOffice of Special Investigations, wasguilty of deliberately concealing evidencefrom the defense and from thecourt. The evidence of professional misconductin this case is tangible, recentand compelling. Indeed, the pattern ofbehavior of the OSI over the years criesout for coogressional oversight. Howevertiiat may be, the Federal Appeals Courtruled that Mr. Demjanjuk must beallowed to return to the United Statesbecause of his questionable prosecutionin front of this same court back in 1986.The Clinton administration, and mostspecifically its attorney general, Janet"Ivan the Terrible" who maliciously torturedJews on their way to the gas chambers,then the Israeli trials showed thatMr. Demjanjuk was likely a prison guardat other camps. These are, of course,totally different accusations. Since Mr.Demjanjuk allegedly concealed his roleas a camp guard on his immigrationforms more than 40 years ago, they saidhe should not be allowed re-entry.Chief Judge Gilbert Merritt could notbelieve Ms. Reno had actually taken aposition in opposition to the motion ofthe court. Apparently Ms. Reno hasn'tquite got it straight about the relationbetween the three branches of government.There is much, apparently, that shehasn't got straight.Time does not allow a review of thelong tangled trail of evidence and testimonybehind this case. Nonetheless, afew points must be made. The UnitedStates does not try war criminals. Insteadour government tries some people forlying on their immigration forms whenthey enter the country. These are civilproceedings and the government is notrequired to read a suspect his Mirandarights or to provide an attorney. Mr.Demjanjuk and his family, for instance,had to raise millions of dollars for hisdefense. Nor is the accused entitled to atrial by jury. Despite the fact that theseare civil proceedings, there are nostatutes of limitations for lying on theinunigration forms. Nonetheless, a findingof guilt may result in a subsequentsentence of death in a third country.It has been the stated position of thesuccessive directors of the OSI, notablyAllan Ryan and Neal Sher, that theynever seek to convict someone for simplylying on a form 40 years ago. Rather, thecrimes in question in this instance arewar crimes committed between 1933 and1945 and involve aiding Hitler's NaziGermany in waging aggressive war andin conamitting "crimes against humanity."It is, of course, a great paradox thatthe Soviet Union signed a pact withHitler in 1939 that led in the next twoyears to an enormous loss of life inPoland, the Baltics and much of EasternEurope. This Soviet action, and the specifictortures and deaths that followedbetween 1933 and 1945, were never consideredfor war crimes trials, nor for subsequentlegal action since the establishmentof the OSI in 1978.Allan Ryan in his book, "QuietNeighbors," freely admits that, in additionto catching war criminals, part of therationale for the establishment of the OSIwas that an older generation of Jewswanted to teach a newer generation ofAmericans about the Holocaust. The ideaof catching war criminals dovetailedneatly with Soviet concerns as well. TheSoviets gave death sentences to formermembers of the Red Army who surrenderedto the Nazis and who went to theWest after the war. They were especiallyinterested in finding former soldiers whotook up arms against the Soviet Union inthe later stages of the war, like theGeorgian father of the current head of theAmerican Joint Chiefs of Staff, JohnShalikashviii.Mr. Demjanjuk's name was first givento the U.S. Justice Depaitment in 1975by Michael Hanusiak, editor ofUkrainian News, a pro-Soviet publicationfor Ukrainian exiles in the U.S. It(Coetiniied on page 20)!]Faces and Placesby Myron B. Kuropas"My Life" is our storyWith the Christmas season upon us,can "It's a Wonderful Life," that marvelousclassic starring Jimmy Stewart asGeorge Bailey, be far behind?Of course not. And it's a good thing!But this season there's another goodthing to enrich us all, a very differentfilm called "My Life." If you haven'tseen it, run, don't walk, to your nearesttheater because this is a film about us.Yes, us. Like in Ukrainians."A memorable movie," declared TVhost Larry King. "A terrific film aboutthe appreciation of life and about openingyour heart to love."The film is more than a simple lovestory, however. It's also about healingand findingone's lost roots.The story begins with little BobbyIvanovich, age 6, looking up at the firststar of the night and asking God to put acircus in his back yard so that he caninvite his classmates to his house andimpress them on his birthday. ToBobby's overwhehning shame before hispeers, the prayer isn't answered.Thirty years later we find a grownBobby looking up at the same firststar ofthe night and asking God for somethingvery different. Bobby is now Bob Jones(played by Michael Keaton), a highlysuccessful public relations executive whohas just learned that the cancer in his kidneyshas spread and that his days arenumbered. With his wife (played byNicole Kidman) pregnant, Bob Jonesasks God to let him live to see his oneand only progeny."Impending life," writes movie criticDann Gire, "merges with impendingdeath."Hoping to leave his life's story behindfor his child. Bob begins a videotapedjourney through his life which, we soonfind out, originated in a Ukrainian homein Detroit. Try as he might. Bob can'tquite put it all together until he leams ofMr. Ho, an Asian mystic faith healer(played by Oscar-winner Haing S. Ngorof "The Killing Fields") who tells him heneeds to let go of years of deeply buriedresentments and unresolved conflicts andto seek peace. "I am at peace," Bobinsists.Resisting Mr. Ho's advice. Bobdecides, nevertheless, to attend hisbrother's wedding. It's a real Ukrainianwedding, officiated by Father WalterKlimchuk and then deacon, now FatherOleh Romanenko at St. NicholasUkrainian Catholic Cathedral inChicago. (In the movie the church issupposed to be in Detroit but Ukrainianswill never tell.) The wedding is followedby a real Ukrainian reception atChicago's St. Vladimir's UkrainianOrthodox Church Hall (talk about ecumenism!)with real Ukrainian drinkingand real Ukrainian dancing. One seessome of the famed SUMA dancers and,for a split second, one of the Kulasbrothers. You'll have to see the movie tosee which one it is.As you might suspect by now, muchof Bob's unresolved torment revolvesaround his turning his back on his heritageand running off to California. He issubtly reminded of this by his brotherand not so subtiy by his father. He leaveshis family with nothing resolved. Back inCalifornia, God answers Bob's prayerand allows him to live to see the birth ofhis baby boy. Mr. Ho helps Bob to finallyface his mortality and to realize thatunless he heals relations with his family,he'll really have nothing to tell his sonabout who he was and is.The filmends on a powerful note withmultiple spiritual overtones. As DannGire wrote: "'My Life' does exactly whata great sermon does on Sunday morning.It provides a narrative experience so personaland intense that it triggers audiencemembers to examine the meaning of theirown lives on their way out of the theater."Written and directed by formerDeKalb resident Bruce Joel Rubin, "MyLife" is more than a 10-hankie movie.Thanks to superb acting by MichaelKeaton, who can quickly slip frompainful pathos to comedic clowning, thefilm avoids sentimental slush. NicholeKidman as the stoic but incredibly sensitivewife complements Mr. Keaton witha love that radiates, while Haing S. Ngorbrings a spiritual dimension to the questionof life and death rarely seen inHollywood movies.Most of the credit for the fihn,however,belongs to Joel Rubin, a screenwriteron "Ghost," "Jacob's Ladder" and"Brainstorm," making his directingdebut. Writes Mr. Gire: Mr. Rubin "fUrtswith profound spiritual themes and findsa life-affirming approach to a storyessentially centered around death."Many critics liked the fihn, includingGene Siskel.Susan Granger rated it a 10. "An emotionalroUercoaster of love, family andforgiveness," she wrote, "it's one of theyear's best pictures."George Pennachio calls it "the bestlove story since (Ghost.) But even moreemotional. So touching. You need to seeit with someone you love."Not all movie critics were so enchantedby the film. Roger Ebert thought itwas too sentimental. But then who stillpays attention to the cynical Mr. Ebert?One element not mentioned by othercritics that I found particularly edifyingin "My Life" was the theme of fidelity.Fidelity of spouse. Fidelity of family.Fidelity of community. Hollywooddoesn't make many films that glorifyfidelity.Although the film is rated PG-13, Ibelieve it's safe for anyone 10 and above.There is no explicit sex, violence or vulgarlanguage. The rare time that anexpletive is uttered seems most appropriate.Although everyone should enjoy thisfilm, there is a special message in it forUkrainian youth too involved with theirAnglo-American lives to look back towhere their life's journey began. Theyshould see the film and when it's over,they just might feel an urge, as Mr. Giresuggests, to call their mom and dad.And, if they're still around. Dido andBaba might like to hear from you too!T@ subscribe: Ca!i The Ukrainian Weekly's Subscription Department at (201)434-0237, or send $20 ($10 if you are a member of the UNA) to The UkrainianWeekly, Subscription Department, 30 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ 07302.