Mr. Gorbachev — Tear Down This Wall

I’m that wall,

and if walls could talk....

I would tell you all about the best day of my life; the day I came crashing down!

Yes, there’s a great need for walls; for privacy and for private matters, for protection from inclement weather.

To keep toddlers in, and unsavory characters, out!

But, what if you were built, for another reason entirely?

• Built to permanently divide a once united, thriving city, within a beautiful Country

• Built to separate families, loved ones, neighbors & dear friends

• Built by Communists to keep the people in, subservient, and oppressed

  
  

Before I get too far ahead of myself, a brief history:

Before WWII, Berlin was the capital of Germany, it was a thriving city and held the title as the largest industrial city in all of Europe!

After WWII, [what was left of Berlin] was divided into four sectors, occupied by Allied Troops. The forth sector, occupied by Russia was a stronghold for Communism.

The three sectors occupied by American, French and English troops (aka West Berlin) rebuilt and flourished and was a stronghold for freedom and democracy!

The communist sector (aka East Berlin) laid in waste and in ruins.

Although their sector was as large as the three sectors combined, it had half the people. People sought the freedom which was found in West Berlin, and so, they continually fled!

This is where I, officially, come in

Because of the mass exodus from the wasteland, Communist-controlled East Berlin:

I went up quickly, in order to stop it!

Stop them I did! I went up so quickly, in fact, many did not have time to react, much less make preparations!

When the dust settled, and the people came to the realization...

of either very good fortune, or — a very unfortunate lot in life, true despair set in!

With that realization and with time, many were killed -

• When seeking the freedom which existed on the other side

• When longing to be reunited with their much more fortunate loved ones, on the other side -

When they dared to cross me !

They never chose to be there; on my ugly side, my bad side , the wrong side, the evil side!

Yes it’s all true, an evil entity constructed me, and stood guard over me, as I stood between two different worlds [within one Country] for many decades!

Until the day when good won out, and the cry for liberty was heard, and heeded!

The day I was torn down, not only did I experience true freedom for the very first time —

those whom had merely existed on the evil side of me, began to truly live again!

Thank you to the United States of America , and to the 40th President, Mr. Ronald Wilson Reagan!

I don’t know that people think of me, any longer, or if they’ve even heard of me, or my story!

That saddens me - and frightens me, all at the same time!

Not because I have a need or a desire to be remembered!

But rather... because I don’t want people to ever forget why I came to be —

and I think many are forgetting…..

Signed,

The Berlin Wall