Iseseisvuspäev

It seems every study abroad student falls in love with their host country, a true testament to the fact that countries are not better than one another, just very different. Until now, I certainly liked Estonia, but it doesn't hold the same place in my heart that my hometown, Alaska, or even London does. But there are moments when I take great pride in my choice of host country, moments when I am proud  to have chosen a small, nearly unknown nation to spend my year. Small countries are so different from superpowers in the very best ways. There are moments when I am astounded by the historical strength and courage of the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and the struggles that have been handed to them over the centuries. It is moments like these that make me realize that this country, and Tartu, will always have a part of my heart.

The movie I watched today was called "Those Who Dare," and one of the premier characters was the Foreign Minister of Iceland during the early 90s. He was the only diplomat to visit the Baltics during their struggle for freedom, and often found himself, together with the foreign minister of Denmark, their only friend in Europe. Small countries need to stick together, they decided. These large nations have so many other things on their plate, they "didn't have time" to deal with the problems of the Baltics. The response these superpowers received: "You can love us, fear us, or hate us, but you can't ignore us."
     Lithuania was the first of the Baltic states to declare its independence. France and Germany urged the country to retract its statement; the US, in the endgame of the Cold War, was hoping for a different solution that the USSR would favour more than an outright declaration. However, while the diplomats of these nations were kept abreast of the situation, the populous were less so. It took acts of violence for media to turn its attention to these three countries. Yet, in that moment when the world finally opened its eyes, the US invaded Iraq and those eyes swung toward the Middle East. Apart from Iceland, the Baltic nations largely fought their battles alone. At a summit of foreign ministers, after Iceland spoke he received a hug from the US representative who congratulated him on speaking the truth, as only small nations can. The US was unable to voice any definite opinion on the situation, as its relations with the Soviet Union were already so tenuous.
     Everyone has the right to be free, and that's the message the Baltics and Iceland had been trying to relay to the Soviet Union. Tallinn was spared the violence that occurred in Riga and Vilnius. One of the most incredible things, I find, was the Baltic Chain that spread from Vilnius in the south to Tallinn in the north on the 50th anniversary of the Molotrov-Ribbentrop Pact; more than 1 million people join hands to create a human chain, another reminder that these three nations, while different, share a common bond, a common spirit, and at that time, a common future goal: freedom.

I had so much more I had planned to write as I watched the movie and thought about it walking back, but luckily I can always edit this!

**Regarding the parade, it's more of a military parade than the US parades are. There were even US troops in the parade, but there didn't seem to be kids groups and a variety of organizations involved in the parade, just a series of men in uniforms. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKMSFGKWT8Y&feature=youtu.be]

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Secretary of State Kerry's Message, 02.24.15:

"On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Estonia as you celebrate 97 years since the founding of your republic.

President Obama’s historic visit to your country last year was a visible demonstration of the ties between our two countries. As he said then, the energy and optimism of today’s Estonians is a model for those yearning for freedom.

Estonia is a global leader in e-governance, Internet freedom, cybersecurity, and free-market economics.

Most recently, Foreign Minister Pentus-Rosimannus and I had the opportunity to discuss issues of mutual importance at the NATO Ministerial in December 2014.

As you raise the blue, black, and white flag of Estonia over Toompea Hill, I wish all Estonians peace and prosperity in the year ahead. The United States stands with you as a steadfast partner and looks forward to continuing to expand ties between our peoples."