Immigrants To The United States

"For us, the concept of regional cooperation and good neighborhood policy has been instrumental in resolving many difficult issues."

"When seventeen years ago, after the Soviet occupation, my country regained independence and joined the UN, we were told that ‘Never again will Molotovs and Ribbentrops dare to decide the future of other nations.’ Next year we will mark the 70th anniversary of the shameful Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocols, but Lithuania and other nations of the former Soviet Union still have to fight against the revisionism seeping down from the Kremlin towers, blatant claims there was no occupation of the Baltic States and that there was no Holodomor in Ukraine where millions of people were simply starved to death by a ruthless dictator."

"Security, based on cooperation, should remain the basic principle of different European organizations and of international relations on the whole."

"It does not matter if the world is unipolar, bipolar or multipolar, human life and human rights remain at the heart of our world. Only such a world can create a truly viable architecture among the states – an architecture based on trust, openness and respect for human rights. But did we see efforts to create such an architecture in the Georgia-Russia conflict? What we saw instead were renewed attempts to divide the world into zones of influence or privileged interests. And this should be unacceptable for the international community of the 21st century. Division and exclusion are bad remedies for conflict resolution. Therefore, conflict resolutions in South Ossetia, Abkhazia or elsewhere should be the responsibility of the international community and international institutions, not of one participating side, which hardly remains impartial"

"A strong message of political will was sent to the world testifying that the Lithuanian nation had never forsaken its historical memory and traditions of statehood. But most importantly, it spoke of the spirit of freedom which was preserved, nurtured and handed down from one generation to another in small and impoverished villages where smuggled-in Lithuanian books were eagerly read by the flickering light of oil lamps. The signatories of the Declaration of Independence knew that. They knew that there was a strong spiritual bond between the word of freedom and the feeling of liberty harbored in the souls of the Nation."

"After World War II, Lithuanian partisans testified through their tragic fate that the Stalinist Soviet Union did not destroy the dignity and idealism of Lithuania. At the close of the century, thousand-strong crowds of freedom seekers answered the call of the Sąjūdis movement to stand up for freedom."

"The ability to put visions in practice is a great quality that is absolutely needed in the twenty-first century Europe. I am proud that this quality is part of Lithuania's national character. Over a decade ago, we were told that our hopes about independence were over-optimistic."

"My country knows from her own experience how powerful and instrumental solidarity can be."

"Let us be worthy of our long and great history and let us purify our aspirations from anger, hatred and short-lived interests. Let us be worthy of our state and nation: let us be the architects of a new Lithuania."

"I must confess that many things held more promise in the past. Moreover, our hopes were well-founded. The world seemed to be a more peaceful and stable place, and people seemed to generally have a better understanding of the conditions for their survival. This was the time of active European integration, with Lithuania being in the right place at the right time in the process. From a candidate country it marched all the way towards EU membership, smoothly taking on the role of a regional leader at a later stage."

"Therefore, we need the ability to engage with each other, and a strategic and value-based approach to our future. I believe that our meeting today marks the beginning of a strategic dialogue. I am therefore grateful to all those who responded to the invitation to meet and discuss the future vision; a vision of renewed and extended success for decades to come; a vision that unites leaders and opens the door to new generations of free Europeans in the region."

"Decades of hesitant negotiations with the North Korean regime have produced a negative result: apart from developing nuclear weapons, the country has also developed ballistic missile systems, Concurrently, Russia and China are manipulating the situation to reach their own aims."

"Russia invaded the sovereign states of Georgia and Ukraine in the 21st century. Both the US and EU failed to take every possible step to protect the countries from occupation and annexation of some of their territories. Notably, the battle on that front is not over yet. And, provided there are no new Munich plots and the transatlantic community adheres to a principled and strong position, Russia will be obliged to withdraw."

"We should be deeply concerned about the destiny of Europe which is fighting for its freedom and leadership, or, to be more precise, for what is left of it. I am surprised to see some EU leaders take over Putin’s rhetoric and even defend his interests, while failing to protect the European aims and unity."

"The future role of UNESCO in identifying possible challenges to humanity and proposing solutions to them has acquired crucial importance today. The ever more rapid advancement of science, technologies and communications raises complex ethical problems for humanity."

"The 11th of March was the day that Lithuania declared itself independent from the Soviet Union in 1990. There is only one difference; the 16th of February inspired and united people, who, despite very difficult circumstances, still cherished love and focused on creating their own state. Comparatively, the 11th of March commemorates the restoration of Lithuania after the long fight against occupation which lead to the crowning event - receiving independence. It showed that our nation, in the first phase of its independence (from 1918 till 1940, ed.), was able to rear the strongly patriotic younger generation, who took strength from their parents and built the state of Lithuania on firm, moral legs. It held that there was a strong aspiration for independence during those 50 years of occupation, and it proved to the world that we are determined to live freely and autonomously."

"I also take this opportunity to welcome Switzerland and East Timor, who are joining the United Nations family. This expansion of United Nations membership is important in many ways. It takes place at a time when the need for global solidarity and partnership is as great as never before. Terrorism threatens global stability and the very basis of our lives. Our countries must stand united and act together in order to avert threats to our existence and to secure the future of our children."

"The Cold War stereotypes still burden us. The Baltic states are often referred to by the militaries as indefensible. And their membership in the Euro-Atlantic structures is therefore viewed as a concern rather than a benefit."

"Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the shared values and key pillars on which we build and consolidate European democracies. The rules and standards that the Council of Europe has consistently worked for form the architecture of united Europe."

"The Cold War is most likely the only war in history in which Europe has been a winner. It has taught us once again that sooner or later oppression is doomed to fail. Any attempt to change the natural course of history ruins the oppressed and the oppressors. The strength of the new Europe stems from the shared values. The most important of them are human rights, security, stability, democracy and social welfare economy."

"To my mind, the question of integration is not related to the founding of Lithuanian suburbs in one place or another as you have mentioned. It was self-contained, uniting itself with a goal to maintain the nationality and further develop Lithuanian culture. In my opinion, the concentration of Lithuanians in those separate suburbs led to more permanence – Americans also paid attention to this. They – various officers attending our concerts or celebrations, for instance – were surprised by our national group, which, despite being far away from the motherland, was not only able to save their identity, but also mature it over the years. It kept hope that matters in the issues of Lithuanian freedom would get better someday. I’m personally proud of our emigrees, who managed to achieve such significant results – Lithuania’s case for independence became famous worldwide."

"Today we talk about the 'new' threats: illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking of drugs and arms. We need to coordinate our activities in strengthening border controls and fighting against organized crime and illicit trafficking. It is also necessary to strengthen democratic institutions and market economy of the countries in transition. In these spheres the Baltic Sea region has achieved much."

"Liberalism had no appropriate foundations to form in Lithuania. In that field we feel that we lack guides and leaders, and that our liberal idea drowns. Sometimes it seems to me that the liberal thought itself – the promotion of the free word, free will and a free mindset – is distorted in Lithuania. Thinking that liberalism opens any liberties which deny the main moral values, deform the liberal ideal and converting it, in some cases, creates chaos. The only hope is that over time, a certain group of people will remain, they won’t turn away from set liberal ideals, and then liberalism itself will become valid as one of the essential ideological domains. But, I’ll repeat myself, this will take a matter of time. I also hope that eventually Lithuanian society will become mature enough and we’ll have all indications needed for a full-grown democratic country."

"One European country is missing at this forum. A country whose citizens subscribe to the values of the Council of Europe but who have been robbed of the opportunity to live by them. A neighbour of Lithuania remains a grey territory on the map of European democracies. The Alexander Lukashenko regime is further isolating itself and the people of Belarus from the family of free European nations and the values of democracy. It is my firm belief that we will not close our eyes to the attempts at curbing the right of expression of the Belarusian civil society. The fact that European values have not won their way in this country testifies to our joint failure. On the other hand, this also gives an impetus to work together and help the people of Belarus to build an open and democratic society."

"The common tragic history of Europe with all victories and occupations will form a part of the European identity. We have to make it clear that there is no “twofold” history of Europe, just like there can be no “special type of democracy” which could avoid meeting its commitments to the Council of Europe."

"The end of the Cold War has opened to Lithuania and other restored democracies the doors to many European institutions. But the door to the key structures, generating the greatest prosperity, security and stability, are still hard to open."

"On the other hand, it would be naive to expect that we’d be capable of implanting that ideal, whereas the Western world has been pushing its way for several centuries."

"Today we witness a unique development of European identity. More and more countries accede to Euro-Atlantic structures and contribute to this process. However, only respect for shared values and delivery on international commitments will be the true source of European identity."

"We must debate, talk things out and make full use of diplomatic measures; but we must be ready to act decisively when strategic realities demand defense of freedom and democracy."

"In the past, heads of state designed the security maps of Europe and of the world as they saw it fit. This practise of the past should never repeat itself. I would like to emphasise therefore that the enhancement of security and stability zone should be all-inclusive and proceed without delay."

"European unity is the treasure that deserves all of our care and attention. It is in European unity that the strength, cultural and religious tolerance and the intellectual thought of Europe lies."

"But political solidarity is not enough. Our countries have also launched regional initiatives and taken other concrete steps to increase contributions to the global campaign against terrorism."

"Victory of freedom over oppression and the end of the Cold War opened up the ways for our participation in the process of European unification. The NATO pioneering role in extending the hand of support and assistance to the formerly captive nations was instrumental in this process."

"Although the Iron Curtain has separated Lithuania from the West, the Lithuanian people have retained their commitment to the values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law."

"In my view, the task of the scholar is to learn, to criticize, and, wherever possible, to add to the store of valid knowledge."

"Novelty, originality, and creativity have no value if their products do not correspond to truth, to the contrary, they are harmful when they lead to false assertions.... We must separate our valid knowledge, that is documentable and objective from our religious, political and ideological preferences."

"Еvery intellectual in emigration, without exception, is damaged."

"Ideas can only be met by ideas, and force by force."

"When the bishop took over, his territory was in a very discouraging condition owing to a succession of years of drought and crop failures. Many settlers abandoned their farms and availed themselves of the opening of the new Territory of Oklahoma. Since then, the Kansas portion of what had been formerly known as the Great American Desert has improved under better methods of farming, and is now justly described as the garden spot of the West."

"Our Lord Jesus Christ sent forth His Church to electrify the world and to startle the old Caesarism by proclaiming the dignity and the inalienable rights of every human being — dignity and rights based, not on the power and glory of empire, but on the immortality of the individual soul and its relation to the Infinite and Eternal God. The proclamation was a battle-cry."

"Anyone familiar with the history of Ireland under English and Protestant domination will recognize that it was natural enough for such organizations to be formed among Irish Catholics. When the laws were made against the interests of the great mass of the people, it was the necessary to erect a barrier of defence. No doubt, some abuses were occasionally connected with the operation of these societies, but, in the main, they defended the religious and civil liberties of the Irish people."

"The First Amendment still doesn’t apply in practice... Free speech rights exist right now only because the administration has chosen to allow them, not because the First Amendment is protecting us. ... Why would I be put on a blacklist by Twitter?... Why would a private company, whose money is made by people communicating with each other, decide to put me on a blacklist? It turns out the answer is the government forced them to do it.... Science depends on free speech... If we silence debate, we silence discovery. And if the First Amendment cannot be enforced, then it is still a dead letter.... Right now, free speech in America depends on who is in power... That’s a perilous place to be."

"It’s very easy, for instance, to cure Alzheimer’s in mice. But those things don’t translate to humans."

"One of the lessons I’ve learned during the pandemic…the mistake I saw over and over again was this desire to use science communications to manipulate the public, to vastly underestimate the capacity of the public to understand nuance, and oversimplify and demonize who disagreed with the public health message as if they were somehow the enemy. I think all of those things breed distrust, it miseducates the public about what science is learning and discovering and what it is not learning and discovering, and if it impinges on people’s lives in ways that end up hurting them (like their children can’t go to school for years and they’re depressed or they’re addicted to opioids after their doctors and everyone are telling them that these things can’t get your addicted, they’re fired from their job on the premise COVID stops you from spreading COVID). All of these things are the fruits of a paradigm that views scientific communication as something which ought to lord over you rather than something which helps you decide how to make good decisions about your life. Essentially, we created a class of unclean people as a matter of public policy. You can understand why people who went through that would say, 'Given that the vaccine didn't turn out to stop you from getting and spreading COVID, why should I trust you on anything else?' That, that's where we currently are. [T]he problem here is that the scientific community embraced an ethical norm about unity of messaging and then enforced it on fellow scientists. And then it cooperated with the Biden administration to put in place a censorship regime that made it impossible even for legitimate conversations [e.g., about vaccine injuries] to happen. There was essentially a groupthink at scale. It was impossible to organize a panel with the kind of diversity of opinion that was needed. There were [a] million or more — I know this from the set of people who signed the Great Barrington Declaration, tens of thousands of scientists and doctors who disagreed [with the lockdowns], but they were afraid to stick their head up for fear of getting chopped off. It's not an accident that Stanford didn't allow a scientific panel with my point of view about the efficacy of lockdowns until 2024."

"This censorship activity killed people… The reality is that the First Amendment, if it had been actually in place during the pandemic, would have saved lives. It would have led to less damage, less destruction, fewer people dead."

"Both the peacock and the chicken passed through [Mesopotamia] on their way westward[;] the Sumerians called the chicken ‘ the bird from Meluhha’ and the Syrians called it the ‘Akkadian bird’."

"At sea the most insignificant events seem to amuse everybody, and become the topic of the day."

"Gen. Bernard A. “Bennie” Schriever, unquestionably one of the most important officers in Air Force history, ranks alongside the legendary Henry H. Arnold and Curtis LeMay in terms of long-term effect upon the service and the nation. Foremost among his many achievements was the development and acquisition in the 1950s and early 1960s of a reliable and operational ICBM force. It was a towering accomplishment—one that helped propel the United States to military dominance in space, as well."

"When Gen. Bernard A. Schriever retired, he left behind a new kind of Air Force, far different than the one which he entered thirty-three years before. Today, the Air Force's ballistic missiles and its communications and detection satellites provide the nation with an aerospace capability second to none and help guarantee peace. These systems are living testimony to his leadership of the ballistic missile and space programs and mark him as "the Father of the U.S. Air Force's Space Program." Gen. Bernard A. Schriever truly typifies a breed of American who engenders progress and has the imagination, courage, and persistence to face and resolve complex and difficult problems."

"Schriever’s life spanned the 20th Century and the rise of air and space capability and power. From respectable but modest origins in Germany, he made a new life in the United States. His military career up to 1945, while honourable, would not have suggested the respect he eventually gained, though his technical qualifications might have been thought noteworthy. Rather, his renown arose from its latter half."