President Obama: After uttering words that seem to have pained

most Poles who hear or read them, he has sent a letter of ‘regret’

to Poland’s president. Will that be enough?

With Luck, Obama’s ‘Polish Death Camp’ Gaffe will Put an End to the Issue (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)

“Of course, it would certainly be better if Obama would apologize personally for his mistake and remind to all and sundry that the death camps were not Polish. Perhaps as Poles, we should loudly demand such an apology, as inelegant as that is. But an honest apology requires contrition, which has to be expressed voluntarily and not under duress.”

By Mariusz Zawadzki

Translated By Ewelina Kabat

May 31, 2012

Poland - Gazeta Wyborcza - Original Article (Polish)

This mistake by the president was made at a ceremony to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jan Karski. In his speech, Obama used the phrase “Polish death camp.” The words of [former Foreign Minister] Adam Daniel Rotfeld, who was collecting the award on behalf of the deceased Polish hero, shows just how dramatic Obama’s gaffe was. In 2005 as foreign minister, Rotfeld explained the issue to the Polish Parliament this way: “The unthinking or intentional use of the phrase “Polish death camps” is insulting and shameful. It not only conceals the truth about the real perpetrators of this crime, but slanders our nation, which was the first victim of Nazi Germany’s criminal practices.

Jan Karski, who during the war undertook a desperate mission in an attempt to save the lives of millions of Jews by informing Western leaders of the mass murder taking place in Nazi camps on Polish territory, would probably have been even more blunt.

Posted by Worldmeets.US

As usual, President Obama was reading from a teleprompter, so the source of the confusion is the author of the speech. However, the American President delivered it, so he bears primary responsibility for the words he spoke.

One can only hope that his gaffe will once and forever bring an end to the matter of “Polish death camps.”

There are indications that this will be the outcome. Major media in America like CBS, ABC, the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal covered the President’s gaffe – as did the Associated Press, the largest news agency.

Expressions of regret were offered by the spokesman for the National Security Council, who has been working with Obama for years.

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

Dziennik, Poland: Every Pole Must Protest Until Obama Apologizes

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Tusk Tells Obama: ‘Words Very Deeply Hurt All Poles’
Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Obama’s ‘Death Camp’ Gaffe Has Done Poland a Favor

Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland: ‘Polish’ Concentration Camps: ‘Major Blunder for Obama’
Telegraph, U.K.: Obama Insults 38 million Poles with Crass Remark

Daily Mail, U.K.: Aide Apologises Obama's Calling Death Camp 'Polish'

Of course, it would certainly be better if Obama would apologize personally for his mistake and remind to all and sundry that the death camps were not Polish. Perhaps as Poles, we should loudly demand such an apology, as inelegant as that is. But an honest apology requires contrition, which has to be expressed voluntarily and not under duress.

As Poles, we can only request an official correction from White House, and remind it loudly just how significant an error Obama’s mistake was.