America must respond cautiously and prudently to the recent terrorist attacks to avoid perpetuating the cycle of violence, said Lech Walesa, the former president of the Republic of Poland who spoke Friday to an audience that filled Rudder Auditorium.
“The natural reaction is to take vengeance and hit back, but what do you hit? The rocks and dirt?” Walesa said. “We must be strong, but we must struggle peacefully, not by violence or vengeance.”
Walesa said he would always be grateful for the support of the American people during Poland’s struggle against Communism and that he would stay in the United States for the next two months to demonstrate Poland’s solidarity with America.
“When times of challenge come, I want to be with the American people,” Walesa said.
Walesa, whose speech was titled “Democracy: The Never Ending Battle,” rose to international fame in 1980 when he led the Lenin Shipyard strike in Gdansk, Poland, while the nation was under Communist rule.
At that time, Polish workers were upset over an increase in prices set by the government and were demanding the right to set up independent trade unions. On Aug. 14, 1980, the workers were on the verge of abandoning their strike when Walesa, an electrician active in the underground labor movement, delivered a stirring speech from the top of a bulldozer. The workers were revitalized by his passion and the strikes spread to factories across the country. The labor movement became known as “Solidarity,” and began a social revolution.
Former President George Bush introduced Walesa, describing him as a “great international hero who lifted the nation under strong shoulders and helped shape the fate of his country.”
“Polish people don’t like strikes, but there was no other option,” Walesa said.
Walesa negotiated with the government and fought for the right to form independent unions and grant legal recognition to Solidarity, but in 1982 the government declared martial law, outlawed Solidarity and arrested Walesa.
Walesa was soon released, and Solidarity continued as an underground organization that was celebrated as a symbol of hope and freedom. Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and was Poland’s first democratically-elected president in 1990. Walesa was defeated for re-election in 1995, and now leads the Lech Walesa Institute, which works to advance ideas of democracy and free-market reform throughout the world.
“This (Communist) history is over, and what matters is today and tomorrow,” Walesa said.
Walesa said the struggle for democracy and a just society must continue as the world enters an era of globalization and new opportunities.
“So many generations have struggled for what we have, and we must have confidence in ourselves and listen to the voice of the leaders and defend democracy,” Walesa said. “We must make more effort to discuss things, and opt for values.”