As an example we are quoting Hubert Weikert, a worker from VŽKG Ostrava 3, who wrote an open letter to his parents in Bavaria, which was published in daily paper Práce. Among others, he wrote: Dad and mum, you were appealing to me in the letter to immediately get a passport, leave everything behind and come to you because you heard that Czechoslovakia is facing both an internal and international crisis. My response is: I will not leave and your worries are ungrounded! … The truth is that there was not a slightest act of violence, no one was imprisoned, there were no strikes that would paralyse production of a single factory, not a single Baťa returned…People still go to work …and still believe in their neighbours…
On 19th July the special issue of Literární listy (Literary Papers) published on the front page a cartoon made by Jiří Jirásek (see picture), which looks as though he was anticipating what would happen in Czechoslovakia in a few weeks time…
The main article of the issue had a title “Only few words” and once again it explained why the manifest Two Thousand Words was written and why this is not an appeal for contra revolution as it had been labelled by some individuals. The names of signatories were also published once again. The headline of Literární listy had a title “We are adult and competent”. The titles that appeared on the other three pages of this special four page issue are enough to make a full picture: “We don’t need prompter”, “We have our own socialistic conscience”, “We have nothing to apologise for”, and “Only free citizens are worthy of socialism”.
Responses of famous personalities
I don’t know what a brotherly advice means as I’m an only child. However, supposing that a friend was giving me incorrect advice, I would tell him: “Come over and check what I’m doing if you want us to stay friends.
Miroslav Horníček
This is supposed to be a letter written by brothers and friends? Who do they talk to? Who are they trying to provoke into a tragic and dangerous hazard? Was it written for the compromised, immoral and incapable phalange of former ones, who represent the real contra-revolution? Is it so difficult to understand that the whole nation looks forward to the time when we are finally rid of them, when we are left to live in peace, to be able to breath and have a freedom to think, live and to implement our ideas of revolutionary ethos and ideal?“
Ladislav Fikar
“After a long time, Czechoslovakian political life became really Czechoslovakian and already it brought international complications. It is incomprehensible that our friends are not pleased. Friends are usually pleased about successes and achievements of their dear ones. The truth replaced untruth in Czechoslovakia. We put an end to illegal occurrences and implemented good legal acts…People who weren’t trusted and liked were replaced in their posts by those we do trust…Return to democracy doesn’t have to mean a return to capitalism at all. And it is questionable, whether this has to be a return at all.
Jan Procházka
Don’t be afraid of your friends, don’t be afraid of their quantity!
Zdeněk Mahler
“Several times in the past we have been brought to our knees and several times we surrendered prematurely and unnecessary. In July 1968 the government has such a powerful and explicit support from people that it can defend its national sovereignty and dignity of our nations, which would prove that only free citizens and not cowards and slaves are worthy of socialism.“
Karel Kosík
Berta Štenclová