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earl237 · Oct 31, 2009, 05:42 PM

November 9 will be the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall. I am half German so this event really meant a lot to me. I will never forget the sight and sounds of this event. I'd love to hear some stories from other members with German heritage.

YouTube - Scorpions - Wind Of Change: PCM Version

YouTube - Reagan at Brandenburg Gate - "tear down this wall"

YouTube - Moments in History - The Fall of the Berlin Wall

"This Wall Will Fall, Beliefs Become Reality" Graffiti on the wall mentioned by Reagan during his "Tear Down This Wall Speech"

Wondergirl · Oct 31, 2009, 06:13 PM

I'm 100% German (4th generation German in the U.S.). The next day, the 10th, is my birthday, as well as Reformer (and German) Martin Luther's. It is a momentous week with the 11th being Veterans Day.

tomder55 · Nov 1, 2009, 03:46 AM

And who will be MIA at the ceremony (probably playing golf )? Yes ,President Obama has other plans.

The fall of the wall was one of the most moving events I can recall and one of the biggest, most important global events in our lifetime. Seeing the symbol of jackbooted Soviet Marxist totalitarian oppression and tyranny being torn down by the people brick by brick was moving .

Maybe it did not impact the President the same way ? Or maybe it's that reset button thingy. Maybe he's afraid to offend Putin's sensibilities.

Or maybe it's just that when Obama goes to Berlin he expects to have the whole attention and adulation as happened last year with his Triumph of of the Will-likeaddressin front of the Victory Column. Maybe that's the symbol Obama mostly identifies with .

During that speech he credited the fall of the wall to the “world standing as one” (failing to even give lip service to President's Kennedy and Reagan).Now I guess he is above standing with the rest of the world to celebrate this triumph of liberty.

He is squandering a chance to make an address where he doesn't have to apologize for America but instead celebrate a momentus event that the US played a leading role in bringing about .He should be there .It's a mistake he should correct.

earl237 · Nov 1, 2009, 11:34 AM

I wonder if Bush Sr. Gorbachev and Helmut Kohl will be at the ceremony. I can't believe Obama will miss it, I hope he has a really good excuse. It would be great if the Scorpions appeared live and played "Wind Of Change" at the Brandenburg Gate. Even simple pleasures like listening to Western rock music was illegal in Communist East Germany.