THOUGHTS ABOUT INDEPENDENCE
Editorial

Yerkir.am
May 26, 2006

The independence is when a nation decides its fate on its own, when
it creates its history (the past and the future) all by itself in
line with its own national spirit and traditions. Independence means
no interference from other states, conducting domestic and foreign
policies on its own.

When analyzing the history of the Armenian people, we see that due
to various reasons, this nation has not been free for centuries to
build its own fate.

For centuries, the Armenian people lived under the dictate from
other nations.

Independence and freedom are not strangers to the Armenian people. But
the issue is how these notions are realized in real life. Gaining
independence does not automatically mean a nation became independent
and free immediately.

Russian author Alexander Solzhinitsin says there are two types of
freedom for a person (nation): inner freedom and external freedom. The
inner freedom is more important. A person should be free inside. Any
external freedom would not serve its purpose if a person or a nation
is not ready to accept it and materialize.