CELEBRATION IN SPITE OF ALL

Just a day before national Independence Day celebrations, three National-Bolshevik extremists from Russia seized the St. Peter's Church tower in Riga with red flags and a grenade, demanding the release of their Latvian compatriots recently arrested by the police and expressing opposition to Latvia's plans to join NATO.

Although this extremist act was condemned by Latvian officials and the Russian Embassy in Riga albeit widely acclaimed by Latvia's Russian-language press, some reactions to it were understated. To wait until a grenade is real and explodes in order to see such an act as a negative development, as some human rights campaigners had put it, is, mildly saying, not serious. After the yet-unsolved bomb explosion in a Rimi store in the very heart of Riga in August, where a woman got killed and dozens were severely injured, the threat of terrorism in public places now has a real face in Latvia too. Bleeding, injured people, terrified looks, destroyed property. One can only wonder as to how many people didn't come out to Dome Square on the evening of Nov. 18 for fear that something like that might repeat itself again.

Furthermore, Latvians themselves saw to another scandal related to the national day. This time, Lutheran Archbishop Janis Vanags announced that he couldn't lead the ecumenical service traditional of this day, for being ashamed of his country. He quoted the abortion law, pedophilia cases, official corruption and taxation of church property as the reasons for his shame. All other Christian bishops had to second this demarche mainly because the service was to take place in the Lutheran cathedral. In the end, the service was led by a minister instead.

Yes, indeed. The archbishop's complaints about all of the abovementioned are completely understandable. And his worry the new taxation system would force small parishes in the countryside to stop their religious activities is even more understandable. However, November 18, Independence Day, is the very foundation of the existence of Latvia as a nation and the most significant event in the history of the country, and we all have to thank the Lord for that.

There is nothing better for a people to have than an independent country in which to enjoy the freedoms and benefits it offers. We Latvians are barely 10 years away from the reverse scenario. Therefore, Independence Day merits being celebrated accordingly. Just as it was celebrated in Dome Square, where thousands of people gathered braving the rain and fog, and regardless of extremist threats and bishop sermons.