Edmund Pultinas
February and March
... months to commemorate Lithuania's Independence
This is a day to honor the sacrifices of those people who twice succeeded in restoring independence to Lithuania after long periods of foreign occupation. The story of the restoration of Lithuania in 1990 is an event that we as LithuanianAmericans can all be proud of, but it was the tragedy at the TV tower which, in my view, truly won independence. This restoration [11] years ago, like in 1918, was a long time coming, and it commanded a high price. Certainly there was the tragedy at the Vilnius TV tower. Those who were killed and wounded deserved to be heroes because of their sacrifice. On the other hand, all those who were there in solidarity are heroes, but for the grace of God they could have been among the killed and wounded.
Most of you know better than I about events in Lithuania. Many of you lived there, or had a parent who came from there. Some of you will be leaving the United States to return to Lithuania. As many of you know, my grandparents came from Lithuania almost a hundred years ago. But all of us here have our own perspective of Lithuania ranging from myself to those who just arrived.
[Eleven] years ago my image of Lithuania and Lithuanians was like the picture on a TV screen with the power off, and suddenly the power is turned on and the picture appears. All of a sudden, Lithuania was in the news. They were talking about independence in Lithuania, in Estonia. Of course, there were positive developments with Solidarity in Poland and in Hungary in the late 1980's. I remember a sad interview published in Time or Newsweek where they were able to interview some Lithuanians who said that Poland had a chance of making it but not Lithuania, not a part of the Soviet Union. Even when Lithuania declared a resumption of its independence, I remember talking to my sister with the discussion being essentially maybe they came too far, too fast, and that with a Hungarian style crack down they would be worse off than they were. Well, here we are [11] years later celebrating freedom for Lithuania.
The TV tower tragedy and the actions of the Sajudis group rightfully are associated with the restoration of independence, but in my view none of this would have happened had not Lithuanians of today and years ago, in Lithuania and abroad, always had a spirit of inde
pendence and the willingness to take risks for this independence. As I said before freedom for Lithuania was a long time coming, and it was paid in advance
History teaches us about all the revolutions and wars against czarist regimes throughout the 19th century with terrible consequences for Lithuania. . . a twenty-year respite of independence lasting until 1940. The current chapter begins with the Molotov-Ribbentrop arrangement, trainloads of Lithuanians sent to Siberia, the partisans in the woods fighting against hopeless odds to restore justice and freedoms to Lithuanians, the ordinary Lithuanians who passed through the KGB center in Vilnius, the faithful erecting their crosses on the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai the people who published the underground newspapers and Chronicles, all the people of the Baltics holding hands in a show of solidarity, the people abroad who kept hopes alive, maintaining an embassy in Washington for 50 years without a country.
History is something that you read about in books, but spirit is something that is felt. Lithuania exists today because of the spirit of its people. We, as Lithuanian-Americans, have a share in that spirit ...why else would we be here? Perhaps the semantics are not proper, but the kids I grew up with in what would now be called an ethnic neighborhood certainly carried a dual identity of being American and Lithuanian. When asked what nationality you were, the response was Lithuanian. So when Lithuanians in Vilnius [11] years ago stood alone (help was not on its way for them) and stood their ground, we all felt very proud.
Much has changed [during those] years since then. Freedom hasn't brought good times to Lithuania, but it is still free. Literally almost every day via the internet I get messages about the integration of Lithuania into western Europe via the European Union and NATO. On the other hand, there is very strong resistance by the Russian leadership to the entry of Lithuania and the other Baltic countries into NATO. There are individuals and groups in the U.S. that likewise think that entry into NATO would be a bad idea. I read about polls in the Baltics, which indicate that only about half of the voters believe in their country's joining NATO or the European Union.
Of course, there is uncertainty and risk. There has always been that for Lithuania. It was true in Vytautas' time, and it is true now. Unlike [11] years ago, we as LithuanianAmericans probably have the best opportunity to help Lithuania and America by actively supporting the passage of a NATO invitation for Lithuania in the U.S. Senate, which will come up soon. This is something we can all do.
- Edmund Pultinas