(The Center Square) - As a child going to bed, Radoslaw Sikorski heard the sound of a free press through the thin wall of his family’s home in Soviet-ruled Poland.
On the other side was his father in another room, listening to Radio Free Europe broadcasts, which, unlike Soviet-run media, was uncensored.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“(6 =:E6C2==J =62C?65 7C@> #25:@ uC66 tFC@A6 H92E H2D 92AA6?:?8 :? @FC @H? 4@F?ECJ[ @FC @H? 4:EJ[” D2:5 $:<@CD<:[ H9@ 8C6H FA E@ G2=F6 7C665@> 2?5 364@>6 56AFEJ AC:>6 >:?:DE6C E@52J @7 2 56>@4C2E:4 !@=2?5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$:<@CD<:[ H9@’D 2=D@ E96 >:?:DE6C @7 7@C6:8? 2772:CD[ E2=<65 23@FE !C6D:56?E #@?2=5 #6282?’D C@=6 :? !@=2?5’D EC2?D:E:@? E@ 56>@4C24J 2?5 &<C2:?6VD 5676?D6 282:?DE #FDD:2 %F6D52J 6G6?:?8 2E E96 #@?2=5 #6282? !C6D:56?E:2= {:3C2CJ 2?5 |FD6F>]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 #25:@ uC66 tFC@A6 3C@2542DED :?DA:C65 !@=2?5[ 2 }p%~ >6>36C[ E@ E@52J 6IA2?5 :ED 7@C6:8? 3C@2542DE:?8 E@ 7@C>6C $@G:6E 4@F?EC:6D[ $:<@CD<: E@=5 D6G6C2= 9F?5C65 A6@A=6 :? E96 A24<65 2F5:E@C:F> :? $:>: '2==6J[ ;FDE ?@CE9 @7 {@D p?86=6D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$:<@CD<: 2?DH6C65 BF6DE:@?D @? DE286 7C@> |6=:DD2 v:==6C[ 49:67 >2C<6E:?8 2?5 4F=EFC2= AC@8C2>>:?8 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 #@?2=5 #6282? !C6D:56?E:2= u@F?52E:@? 2?5 x?DE:EFE6] v:==6C 2D<65 H92E <6AE 9:> FA 2E ?:89E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%96 ?F>36C @7 ?F4=62C DE2E6D :D :?4C62D:?8[” $:<@CD<: D2:5] “(92E H@CC:6D >6 :D E96 :?6BF2=:E:6D 36EH66? 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 H:E9:? 4@F?EC:6D 2C6 364@>:?8 D@ 9F86 E92E :E >2J AC@5F46 2 C6G@=FE:@?2CJ D:EF2E:@?] x E9:?< #@?2=5 #6282?[ 2D 2 8@@5 4@?D6CG2E:G6[ H@F=5 92G6 D66? E9:D 52?86C 2?5 H@F=5 92G6 H2?E65 E@ AC66>AE E9:D E9C@F89 E96 A@=:E:42= AC@46DD E@ AC6G6?E 2 5:D2DE6C]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$:<@CD<: AC2:D65 #6282?VD C@=6 :? 6?5:?8 $@G:6E CF=6 @7 t2DE6C? tFC@A6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“w6’D C6>6>36C65 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ F?56CDE@@5 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 4@>>F?:D>[ H9@ 42==65 :E 3J ?2>6 2?5 H9@ 82G6 9@A6 E@ E9@D6 =:G:?8 369:?5 E96 xC@? rFCE2:?[Q $:<@CD<: D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“(92E 8:G6D >6 @AE:>:D> :D :E :D :??2E6 :? @FC ?2EFC6 E@ 92G6 D@>6 :?7=F6?46 @G6C @?6’D =:76 2?5 E96 =:G6D @7 @?6’D 49:=5C6? 3642FD6 :E’D >@C6 D64FC6 E92? 92?5:?8 @G6C @?6’D =:76 E@ 2 5:4E2E@C[Q E96 !@=:D9 56AFEJ AC:>6 >:?:DE6C D2:5] Q!6@A=6 5@ H2?E E@ 4@?EC@= 2?5 E96C67@C6 H2?E 4964< 2?5 32=2?46D @? 2FE9@C:EJ 2?5 D@>6 7@C> @7 C6AC6D6?E2E:@?]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(9:=6 7C66 7C@> E96 7@C>6C (2CD2H !24E 3=@4 @7 E96 7@C>6C $@G:6E &?:@?[ !@=2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ 7246 288C6DD:@? 7C@> #FDD:2[ $:<@CD<: D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x7 :E H2D @?=J 4J36C 2EE24<D[ H6 H@F=5?’E 36 D@ H@CC:65 3642FD6 E96J 5@ :E 6G6CJ 52J[” $:<@CD<: D2:5[ 3FE ?@E65 #FDD:2 92D H2865 @E96C 7@C>D @7 288C6DD:@? 282:?DE !@=2?5 2?5 6=D6H96C6 :? tFC@A6 7@C `_ J62CD DF49 2D DFAA@CE:?8 C25:42= A@=:E:42= A2CE:6D 2?5 DA@?D@C:?8 E6CC@C:D>[ :?4=F5:?8 3@>3:?8D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“&?E:= E96 :?G2D:@? @7 &<C2:?6[ H6 \ @C C2E96C J@F :? (6DE6C? tFC@A6 2?5 E96 &]$] \ 5:5?’E 24<?@H=6586 :E] *@F E9@F89E :E H2D 2 ?F:D2?46] ‘w6 W#FDD:2? !C6D:56?E '=25:>:C !FE:?X 42?’E 36 D6C:@FD]V p?5 >2?J A6@A=6 5:5 ?@E 36=:6G6 96 H@F=5 24EF2==J :?G256[” $:<@CD<: D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“pD =@?8 2D &<C2:?6 :D 7:89E:?8 E96> D@ DF446DD7F==J[ E96J 5@?’E 92G6 E96 7@C46D E@ :?G256 2 H6DE6C? 4@F?ECJ] (6 H@F=5 D66 2?J 4@?46?EC2E:@?D @7 EC@@AD[” $:<@CD<: D2:5[ 6>A92D:K:?8 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 &<C2:?6VD C6D:DE2?46]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmQ%96J 2C6 ?@E @?=J 5676?5:?8 E96>D6=G6D[Q $:<@CD<: D2:5] Qx7 !FE:? DF4466565 :? 4@?BF6C:?8 &<C2:?6[ 2== @7 tFC@A6 H@F=5 36 :? EC@F3=6]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm&<C2:?6 9@DE65 2 9:89\=6G6= G:D:E@C =2DE H66< H96? &]$] $6?] {:?5D6J vC292>[ #\$@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ G:D:E65 E96 ?2E:@? @?6 52J 367@C6 9:D DF556? 562E9 $2EFC52J 7C@> H92E :D 36=:6G65 =:<6=J E@ 36 2@CE:4 5:DD64E:@?]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$:<@CD<: D2:5 96 <?6H vC292> 2?5 AC2:D65 9:> 7@C 9:D DFAA@CE @7 >@C6 2:5 7@C &<C2:?6] vC292> 92D 366? 2>@?8 D6?2E@CD 25G@42E:?8 7@C >@C6 >:=:E2CJ 2DD:DE2?46 E@ &<C2:?6[ 2?5 :? pAC:= a_ad[ vC292> :?EC@5F465 E96 $2?4E:@?:?8 #FDD:2 p4E] %96 =68:D=2E:@? 92D DFAA@CE :? 3@E9 9@FD6D @7 r@?8C6DD[ 2?5 D@>6 >6>36CD 92G6 DF886DE65 :E 36 C6?2>65 27E6C vC292>]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x 9@A6 9:D >6>@CJ :D 9@?@C65 2?5 E96 3:== :D A2DD65[Q $:<@CD<: D2:5]k^Am