Gov. George Pataki
Governor, State of New
York
9 October 2002
Dear Governor Pataki,
I want to congratulate
you for having the courage and the forthrightness to stand up
and acknowledge the Asia Minor Catastrophe as an expression
of a historical truth in hopes of sensitizing current and future
generations against such cruel acts of human rights violations.
My own father was a
POW for three years in Smyrna during WW I and I know the truth
first hand.
As a former Mayor of
my town, State Assembly candidate, and currently a member of
the Regional Council of Greeks Abroad, I am very familiar with
the political risks in standing up and acknowledging historical
truths. However, that kind of courage is exactly what distinguishes
a strong leader from a wishy-washy politician. I appreciate
your leadership, your courage, and your forthrightness.
Sincerely,
Ted Laliotis
President of the Hellenic Federation of Northern California
Former Mayor of Los Altos, California
Current Member of SAE America Regional Council
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