Posted on 06/07/2004 4:37:37 AM PDT by Michael81Dus
German editorial about the deat of Ronald Reagan (click the link and then "Nachrichten", then "Post von Wagner" to read the text in German)
Dear Nancy Reagan,
17 years ago I was standing at the Brandenburg Gate, along with many fellow Berliner. Your husband stood there and shouted over the wall: "Mr. Gorbatchov, tear down this wall..!"
The heart of our city was in ruins then, a wall divided it. Two years later, this wall was gone, and the war was gone out of our city.
Your husband was unique. In the bible, a prophet says: I walk in the darkness, but wherever I go, I´m guided by the smell of the broom tree. Your husband was a broom-man. Your spouse has held many speeches, all endet with the nice sentence: "Friends, our best days lay before us!"
You and your Ronald had such a trust-awaking american nostalgic man-loves-women-even-after-50-years-of-marriage-like-the-first-day relation. Man likes when his girl wears a nice dress. Man stands up when his wife enters the room.
Ronald and Nancy, you´ve lived in the White House like Grandma and Grandpa in their honey moon. As if it was a throne of roses.
Then came the Alzheimer disease, and your spouse said good-bye with the words: "I´m beginning the journey which leads me to the sunset of my life."
Now the sun has set. Ronald Reagan is dead and it is so great to see how my city lives. I´ll drive to the Brandenburg Gate and honk two times. For him.
Cordially,
Yours F. J. Wagner
You can send an email to the author: fjwagner@bild.de
A great statesman and actor has left the stage. It´s also noticed in the city which owes him much.
Thanks for bringing my attention to this. It is always good to know that there are some people out there who actually respect what President Reagan did for the world.
He gave hope where there was none...He believed people should live in freedom...."Tear down that wall!" was thought to be provocative ,too tough , not "diplomatic". The wall eventually came down. There must be toughness along with the diplomacy.
A welcome change from the horrid, ungracious piece in Der Spiegel over the weekend. And to think, since 1989 I have treasured my copy of the Spiegel special issue on German reunification. I remember staying up late, watching CNN, seeing the Wall come down live. I could sense history being made. All because of the conditions created by President Reagan. Germany has never had a better friend than the United States embodied in President Reagan.
As one who served in Berlin and looked at the gray ruin of the East Zone, I really got misty reading this heartfelt tribute.
I agree. Although he was 93, I feel sad, as if a neighbour or a friend has died.
The reports by Der Spiegel, just like those comments who called Reagans efforts "discussable", are ungrateful. Even if he stood up for all what those despise (anti-communism, liberty), there´s no reason to kick a dead man.
Even our President has expressed our sorrow about Reagans death. And, of course, Ex-Chancellor Kohl called Reagan a good friend in need. I´ll expect him to attend Fridays funeral. Both have fought politically for the Pershing II and were united in their belief in Germanys reunification.
Of all the lofty commentary, this has had the most impact on me. Plain truth from a regular citizen. Of yet another country upon which the U.S. has made a POSITIVE impact.
Isn't it amazing how the America-haters ignore this type of thing, and yet still posture as intelligent people?
True.
Isn't even more amazing that President Reagan was hated and despised by the Europeans (not the least of which included the Germans), and suddenly someone in Germany can remember that he did more for Germany than anyone thought possible?
Even more amazing that Reagan promoted much more free market policies than W and yet W is now the most hated man of the European dictatorial elite.
It makes me proud to be an American and a free-market, anti government pro-liberty conservative.
Then I remember watching on TV two years later as the wall's guards stood by allowing people to charge the wall, venting years of anger and frustration, taking hostile blows at the wall with pick axes and sledgehammers.
Today, a small piece of that wall sits on my desk.
The end of the Berlin wall will always be Reagan's greatest accomplishment in my eyes.
I think Kohl and probably the Ambassador are good choices.
Yes, it is. Reagan, Bush (41), Kohl and Gorbatchov share much of the responsibility of the Cold War´s end so soon. I´m sure Poles will argue that Solidarnosc and the Pope have contributed a lot, the East Germans will say it was their protest which brought the wall down, the Hungarians will say it was their opening of the border to Austria, and so on... but for me, without each one of the four mentioned, the Cold War could still concern our minds.
I agree, but the lack of Germany's present or past head of state is (mildly) insulting. Adding the head of the House of Hohenzollern would be a nice touch.
You raise a good point, probably unintentional:
The time of Reagans death is favourable for Bush, as hard as it may sound. The loss of this astonishing man reminds us, that we can judge policy only when it´s history. The fact is, why I´m very reluctant regarding Bush (I´m not praising him, but I don´t criticize him on basics of his policy) is, because he´s doing something I cannot say yet how it will end.
The war on terrorism, nowadays even in Iraq, is not over. How can we say whether what Bush does is good or bad when we don´t know the outcome? It was the same during Reagan´s Presidency, and this analogy sounds favourable for Bush, at least from my view.
Time will tell, and has told us in the case of Reagan.
LOL, well, they are in no position to represent the nation. We are not a monarchy.
President Rau is handing over his office to the elected and designated successor Mr. Horst Köhler on July 1st. I guess both are busy, but I don´t really know.
I just heard it: Schröder participates at the Funeral Ceremony for Reagan. The Federal President is having his last dinner with the Governors of the 16 states on Friday, so he cannot attend.
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