I spent some time in Berlin while the Wall was still up; I was a West Point cadet and spent much of a summer’s leave there. To say that the wall was a glaring symbol of oppression is a major understatement. I was free, when in uniform, to go back and forth between East and West Berlin; the difference was like night and day. Much of East Berlin looked like WW II had just ended the day before (this in 1963); West Berlin was an active, thriving city. Then, thanks to much leadership by the US and pressure on the Soviet Union the Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed. It was a great victory of freedom over oppression and a great victory for the US. Perhaps that is why our president is too busy to attend the ceremonies–he’s been telling the world how bad the US is–and this is a wonderful example of the good we have done for the whole world–this event is contrary to his message.
