History is repeating itself
Lessons from Lithuania
My Substack is a reflection on what I learn from studying my ancestral history and to draw parallels for us Americans today.
Like many Lithuanians, my grandparents came to this country to preserve the spirit and culture of their homeland that was under attack by Russia.
The Legacy of Resistance
America had a busy week with the meeting of the UN General Assembly.
On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in his address, Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at the United Nations General Assembly had this to say:
“As Europe descended into another great war, Lithuania and the other Baltic States were illegally occupied, annexed and brutalized. After regaining the independence 35 years ago, Lithuania feels a duty to guard the bitter memory of past mistakes… When power replaces law, and fear silences the truth, the foundations of global order begin to crack. And then nobody – nobody – can feel safe anymore!”
After gaining independence on March 11, 1990, “Soviet troops garrisoned in Vilnius were deployed on January 11, 1991. Crack KGB units had been flown in days earlier. Their task: To take control of key sites in the capital — an effort that climaxed with the attack on the TV broadcast tower and sole TV station on January 13…. Fourteen civilians were killed by Soviet forces during those fateful days in January 1991, Lithuanian officials would later say, all but one of them during the storming of the state television station and TV tower. More than 700 were wounded.”
Why would the Soviets want to attack a TV tower? Why would world leaders go after the media? The motivations for media control include the suppression of dissent, especially when world leaders choose to rewrite history, like Putin is doing to Ukraine.
A Modern American Parallel
Lithuanian resilience can be a role model for America. If a country the size of West Virginia can stand up to Putin’s aggression, what can we do to uphold our own freedoms? The front line is different today, but the principle of resistance to control is the same.
The least we can do is continue to boycott. A boycott successfully brought Jimmy Kimmel back to TV. “Disney is very sensitive to consumer perception and to consumer boycotts,” said Los Angeles entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel in an interview with NPR. “This is just the beginning of a widespread boycott emerging in the fight for free speech.”
Hopefully, we will not need to stand in front of tanks to preserve our constitutional rights. We can organize and join a Black Friday Boycott and support Giving Tuesday instead. Most importantly, this may be the time to support your local Public TV or radio station, strengthening the non-commercial media outlets that refuse to be silenced or sold.
Please continue this discussion by posting your thoughts in a comment. I would like to hear what you have to say and how I can make this Substack better.