September 21, 1991 marks Armenia's Independence Day from the Soviet Union. Over 70 years under Soviet rule, it was unfathomable to see this "mighty" power fall.

This power that helped bring down Hitler and the Nazi's, and kept the United States in fear of the concept of Communism, collapsed, and in doing so, unintentionally freed its "subjects."

That's where my history lesson ends for the day... well, almost. The Soviet Union had two "gods:" Lenin and Stalin. The worshiping of these two mortals was evident in the countries conquered. School children were taught at a young age that Lenin was their grandfather and they needed to make him proud by doing well in school and obeying the rules. Practicing culture and religion was not only frowned upon, but also punishable. Statues of Lenin and Stalin stood tall, looking down toward the people they ruled over. For a union that did not believe in a god, these statues prove otherwise. As countries took on independence, they tore down the symbols that kept freedom from them.

One of my favorite political theorists, Thomas Paine, taught me in his writings, that the greatest force, stronger than any government is its people. The people allow governments to exist. If the people do not believe in their government or style of government, it will eventually cease to exist. If the people want change, their government will have to oblige, or disappear.