Above, a piece of the Berlin Wall sits at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.The Berlin Wall was once the symbol of the Cold War between the Eastern Communist bloc and the free world. But on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came crashing down, and with it Communist East Germany. That night, hundreds of Germans joyfully took hammers and tore it down.
Three days from today, the 20th anniversary of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall will be celebrated. Unfortunately, President Barack Obama does not deem the occasion important enough for him to attend ceremonies in unified Berlin.
On August 13, 1961, the Communist East German government erected the Wall to keep its citizens from fleeing into free West Berlin. It is estimated that about 5,000 East Germans successfully fled East Germany. It is also estimated that 100 died trying.
The beginnings of the fall of the Berlin Wall were set on June 12, 1987 when President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Wall near the Brandenburg Gate. There, Reagan said:
We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Two years later, the Wall came down. It is one event in history that needs to be celebrated.
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