Milda Bublys

Artist Unknown, featured at Lietuvos Technikos biblioteka, 

Vilnius, LT

I like to keep the mood and spirit of my blog light- the occasional gripes, but mostly full of the inspiration that sourrounds me in my every day that I will hope will also inspire you, too. But recently, I was saddened by some recent posts to my blog on the last few entries about my recent trip to Vilnius. I deliberated if i should indeed accept the comments, as I screen all of them, and ultimately decided that everyone’s opinion, for the most part, deserves the right to be heard. If you are interested in reading comments on the posts, click here or on each one (respectively) on the main page and scroll down.

A few notes to the unfortunate and ignorant commentator- and given the name and source of his email address, seems to be a native Lithuanian. Vilnius is such a beautiful city, and as I stated, full of the ability of promise to overcome its bloody history. Admittedly, its still has its less-than gorgeous sites, but in no ways would I liken it to a “gas station“. The most amazing thing about the history of Lithuania, and more specifically, Vilnius, is its constant acceptance of a variety of different cultures, ethnicities, and religious beliefs. The comments that “vilnius is full of polaks and russians..not to mention jews” is not only extremely prejudicial, but tremendously contradictory to the basic principals that Lithuania was founded on. It was Lithuania’s own Vytautas, one of the most revered and storied leaders in Lithuanian history, who encouraged diversity in his great country. In Vilnius- City of Strangers, author Laimonas Briedis writes,

“Vytautas embraced this local diversity, which was, in part, created by his own policies of allowing people of various creeds to settle in and around Vilnius.”

In addition, during WWII, unspeakable crimes against Jews and Poles also occurred here, not too far from the city center in a village called Paneriai. We’re talking about a massacre of 100’s of thousands….and I’m appalled at the fact that such a rancid stink of the atrocities that occurred here would exhibit such anti-semitism from a native, who, in the very least, should be more cautious and apologetic. I know that the blogosphere is polluted with negativity and criticism, but, in my opinion, blatant hate is not acceptable.

This will be the last I will post on this subject, we have too much love and beauty to live for in our short, very blessed lives. Lets try to move forward and live in love, in lieu of sowing seeds of hate. They only fester.

This one goes out to you, Mariau- whoever you are:

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