Mr. Gorbatchev, Open This Gate

[_Simpson_ 250]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

Take a history class, will ya'? Reagan would never have been able to make that speech if it wasn't for every administration since WWII to protect West Berlin. Kennedy's speech following the build of the Berlin Wall ensured Berlin that America would not give up on it. It was certainly less significant than Truman's Luftbrücke some 15 years earlier but it was important for the people of Berlin to know and be reassured that they had America on their side after the Soviets have caged them in. Without the determination of Truman and Kennedy, there would have been no Reagan speech in 1987.

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

I think it's called perspective. At the end of the day. Reagan doesn't deserve all the credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not even the majority of it, to be quite honest. I thought his 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate was quite powerful - he put in very simple terms what people on both sides of that Wall were thinking. Those words, however powerful and welcome at the time, didn't bring down the Wall, though.

Yes I agree this was way bigger than Reagan but he does deserve credit and far too many people want to downplay it.

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

Wow... I did all that? Wasn't my intention - actually I hadn't intended to post when I did, but was playing with some ideas to maybe augment the OP's idea and got interrupted so I closed out of VJ (or at least I thought I did) but was too late to make any changes when I got back. Had no idea I was giving a history lesson nor making a political statement. Not everything is about politics.

In any regard - am happy the 860 mile wall/fence/border and the DDR are long gone - that's the important thing and what is being celebrated.

Otto do you not know me at all... everything is political with me.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

Take a history class, will ya'? Reagan would never have been able to make that speech if it wasn't for every administration since WWII to protect West Berlin. Kennedy's speech following the build of the Berlin Wall ensured Berlin that America would not give up on it. It was certainly less significant than Truman's Luftbrücke some 15 years earlier but it was important for the people of Berlin to know and be reassured that they had America on their side after the Soviets have caged them in. Without the determination of Truman and Kennedy, there would have been no Reagan speech in 1987.

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

I think it's called perspective. At the end of the day. Reagan doesn't deserve all the credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not even the majority of it, to be quite honest. I thought his 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate was quite powerful - he put in very simple terms what people on both sides of that Wall were thinking. Those words, however powerful and welcome at the time, didn't bring down the Wall, though.

Yes I agree this was way bigger than Reagan but he does deserve credit and far too many people want to downplay it.

I'm not one of those people, though. I thought my choice of a thread title made that pretty clear.