https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A

Comments yesterday from a blogger wondering why the United States and the EU had not kept their promises to the people of the Ukraine have me thinking.  A promise was made that  traditional weapons would be provided  if Ukraine disarmed their nuclear weapons. But this does not appear to have happened.  The Ukrainians are digging ditches and fighting  with sticks and fire.  This  made me think of a time in our history where inspiring words as well as strong courageous actions  were what the world expected and got  from the United States as a leader of freedom in the world.

June 1987, President Ronald Reagan was in Berlin to celebrate the 750 anniversary of that great city.  Berlin had been divided by a wall  to separate the West and the East , built in 1961 by the Russians. With no warning,  there were families suddenly separated by that massive ugly barrier.  Now, Mr. Gorbachev was showing a willingness to talk and negotiate as the Soviet Union was slowly loosing a stronghold over  its empire. 

A wall’s  purpose is two fold, to enclose some and to keep others out.

I will never forget images of the wall being destroyed, though I have never been to  Berlin. It was an inspiring sight to see the joy of the people.  Earlier there were stories of desperate East Berliners trying desperately to climb and drop to freedom. Most of them were gunned down in the process by the the soldiers.

I thank JF  for making me think about why the US had not kept her word. We have all seen this year our  leaders proclaim “red lines” not to be crossed, most prominently in Syria and Iran, and then when they were crossed…we have done nothing. Many people have suffered and died.  I am not proposing “boots on the ground” but  something in-between nothing and war.

I do know that the government can be working in the background and that was much more understandable in the past where there were no 24/7 news shows available to every cable TV household.  There could be  details we don’t know but we  also  have examples of “peaceful revolution” from Gandhi, Mandella, and Martin Luther King as well as strong and inspiring leaders like Ronald Reagan. None of these men were  perfect, without mistakes, but they were teachers, guides, and  gave inspiration to the oppressed and kept their word.

This beautiful gate is one of the most recognizable sites in Germany. In the US, it is known for the site of  inspiring  presidential speeches by President Kennedy and President Reagan.  The gate  is just next to  the “wall”, making the setting of this  hundreds year old neoclassical triumphant arch even more dramatic.

Thank you Mr. President for inspiring and working for freedom for many oppressed people in the world.

I would love to hear your thoughts.  I thank my bloggers for teaching me!

Wikipedia and domain images