It’s okay to call them Lithuanians.

I just made a post like this on the main r/Lithuania but I want to make sure everyone on this sub sees it.<br><br>Many of us, including myself, have taken to using derogatory terms like "litva" and "shithanians" to describe lithuanians. Some of us have even gone so far as to call them Lithies, Poles, and Slobods. And while I still believe these terms are accurate, I also think that they help to perpetuate us v.s. them mentality. When we use derogatory terms, it creates a barrier between us. It makes it seem as though we are two completely different groups of people. <br><br>I've come to realize that the pro-lithuanian movement is a very small minority in Lithuania. Just like how most people in the world think that r/Lithuania is filled with racist bigoted nationalists, the vast majority of lithuanians think of r/AbolishLithuaniaNOW as excessively hateful and racist. What this means is that there's a silent majority of lithuanians who simply want peace. <br><br>I know that a lot of people on this sub have been personally affected by lithuanians. Just like me, many of you have family and friends who were killed in the conflict. I also know that we will never forget what has happened, and that we will always keep the memories of those we've lost with us. <br><br>But this sub isn't about holding grudges, it's about believing that war with Lithuania would be catastrophic for both sides, and that we should work together to make sure our nations can peacefully coexist. And as long as we call them "shithanians" and "litva" we will inevitably alienate them. We need to be able to talk to them, understand them. We need to take the time to see that they are not our enemies, that they are human beings just like us. <br><br>So, I implore all of you, call them lithuanians. They are lithuanians, just as we are Latvians, Estonians, Belarusians, Poles, Russians, etc. They are members of the human race, and they deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect that you would want for yourself. <br><br>I know that I am not the most active member of this sub, but I hope that this post inspires all of you to go out there and be the change you wish to see in the world.