In the past few weeks, the Polish community in the New York region has intensified its efforts to push for eliminating the visa requirement for Poles who travel to the United States. Let's join the community with more energy.

The battle is not new – it did not start yesterday. But efforts don't always bring immediate results; we should not be discouraged. The American system guarantees success only to those who consistently pursue their goals and remain undeterred by failures.

This proved true, for example, during the battle to include Poland in NATO. At first, the idea seemed to have no chance of going forward as it did not have many supporters in the United States. However, thanks to our determination, we managed to win President Bill Clinton to our side, and later the majority of legislators. Even opponents of the NATO expansion, such as Senator Edward Kennedy and Vice President Joe Biden, came around to the idea. Biden changed his position by 180 degrees. From an ironic skeptic, he became one of the Capitol's most ardent promoters of the Poles' aspirations.

The fight to include Poland in the exclusive club of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has not met with strong opposition. No hostile articles appear in the prestigious newspapers, influential academic circles do not protest against it, and there is no bad feeling in most prominent think tanks about Poland's inclusion in the VWP.

It may seem that circumstances are in our favor, but not quite so. First, we have not managed to ensure the unanimous support of the White House in this matter. George W. Bush and Barack Obama have limited themselves to non-binding assurances about their support for our efforts; however, nothing more has been done. Saying that it is up to the Congress to decide, they have done almost nothing to convince the legislators.

We are also at fault. Unlike the NATO accession effort, we haven't created a mass movement. We haven't showered the White House and both chambers of the Congress with letters and phone calls. We haven't fully used the power of the Internet. We have given up reaching out to local and state legislators, who, although they don't have the power to decide about the VWP, could contribute to creating a favorable climate.

But two recent events can help our cause. First, the killing of world's Number One terrorist, Osama bin Laden, will weaken arguments of those who irrationally see a link between inclusion of Poland in the VWP with border security. Second, President Barack Obama's upcoming trip to Poland can present the opportunity to remind him about the promises he made earlier.

Let's not rely on somebody else to solve the matter for us. We have supporters on Capitol Hill, but we need more of them. Let's continue to pressure senators and members of the House of Representatives. The Polish American Congress has called for a mass action in many states, including New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Let's join in, with energy.