Political Quotes

“20 years ago the world witnessed one of the last crimes of the Soviet communist regime against its own people. The biggest nuclear catastrophe in human history was kept secret from Soviet civilians, who were exposed to massive amounts of radiation that exceeded the medically tolerable norm by 100 times. On April 25-26, 1986, many firefighters sacrificed their lives to put out the huge fire caused by the explosion. Thirty-one died. Their heroism prevented a European Hiroshima. In 1986, the Soviet Government let millions of people in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia conduct their daily lives as usual--completely unprepared, unwarned, and unprotected. On May 1, 4 days after the catastrophe, citizens of Kiev, Minsk, Gomel, and dozens of other cities went outdoors celebrating Labor Day, an official holiday in the Soviet Union. Only days later the civilian population was gradually informed of the disaster's extent. By that time, millions of people, including infants and children, had received high doses of radiation. Dozens were doomed to suffer painful deaths in the years to come. Thousands are still coping with health problems caused by exposure during those tragic days, including thyroid and breast cancer, and tumors. The ultimate prognosis for millions remains unclear. 20 years later, grave danger remains at Chernobyl.…”