WOW...25 years ago today...Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate

YouTube ^ | today | me

[rottndog]

President Reagan's remarks on East-West relations at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987.

[rottndog]

Hard to believe it's been 25 years. I watch videos of Reagan, and when I look at today's batch of people who want to run the country, I just have to shake my head and think "What the hell happened?"


Long version of speech (27 minutes)

Short version of speech (5 minutes)

[rfreedom4u]

I wish we had another Reagan.

[KarlInOhio]

I forget who wrote the story about the speech, but it was amazing how many White House staffers were trying to remove the "tear down this wall" section as overly provocative. Reagan kept on putting it back in.

Consider that you really start remembering things and connecting them together around ten years old (I clearly remember Carter's term in office, not so much with Ford or Nixon). That means anyone thirty-five or under only knows about this speech as history instead of as part of their lives. Excuse me while I go shake my cane at some whippersnappers who are on my lawn.

[rottndog]

I was in the Navy at the time, just finishing boot camp. I ended up on a submarine out hunting the Soviets. By the time I got out, the Soviet/Russian threat had largely subsided, thanks to RR.

[Perdogg]

The speech that Colon Bowell did not want him to give.

[Straight Vermonter]

I forget who wrote the story about the speech, but it was amazing how many White House staffers were trying to remove the "tear down this wall" section as overly provocative. Reagan kept on putting it back in.

Peggy Noonan's excellent biography of Reagan has a good recounting of the battle over including this in the speech.

That means anyone thirty-five or under only knows about this speech as history instead of as part of their lives.

This speech happened on the day I graduated from high school so, unfortunately, it is really just history for me too.

[rottndog]

I wonder about many of those dems-in-disguise....so timid they were actually pro-Soviet.

Boy was Reagan the man of the hour...

[reagan_fanatic]

I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever see another President of Reagan’s caliber in my lifetime. All we seem to get stuck with anymore are Bushes and Romneys :(

[married21]

I remember hearing about the speech. At the time, I thought “That Reagan is so naive and simplistic. As if you could just ask for the wall to be torn down.”

Over the years, I have learned that there is a dearth of plain speaking about right and wrong in our world and when it happens, it is a blast of fresh air.

[rottndog]

Although he's come up as a legislator, Tom McClintock comes to mind. Very knowledgeable, plain spoken, and unwavering in his convictions. Very few can debate him on substance, so he is basically ignored by the national media. I'm hoping he has higher aspirations than merely congress.

[OldNavyVet]

I wish we had another Reagan.

We do ... in Sarah Palin.

[KarlInOhio]

Peggy Noonan's excellent biography of Reagan has a good recounting of the battle over including this in the speech.

Thanks. That does sound familiar and I've seen her on TV enough that she could have been the one telling it.

[rottndog]

It’s a shame so many people have to go out of their way to hate him. All politics aside, he was just a good and decent man.

[Kozak]

From a Giant to a pygmy as president in 1 generation.

[Kozak]

Peter Robinson wrote the speech, one of the junior speech writers at the time. EVERY senior aid to the president wanted that line removed. The president stuck to his guns and the rest is history. By the way checkout the Ricochet.com web site, it’s run by Robinson.

[RetroSexual]

I don’t get it - where’s the teleprompter??

[Fast Moving Angel]

Damn, I miss him.

[VeniVidiVici]

His speech was about 4 months before I was stationed there.

Here's a pic taken just before the start of East Germany's last parade which commemorated the DDR's 40th anniversary. The parade was in East Berlin. A small group of us went over to "observe" the proceedings. Gorbachev was there and pretty sure Gaddafi and Arafat were too. Of course just a short month later the DDR was no more. "Tear down this wall" indeed!!

This East German officer was none too happy that a couple of US Army types were photographing his equipment. You can see my buddy in the background getting upclose and personal :-)

[rottndog]

}’o(

[rottndog]

Gorbachev, Gaddafi, and Arafat...nice company.

Funny how hard the left tries to glorify Gorby, all the while demonizing Reagan.

[a fool in paradise]

I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever see another President of Reagan’s caliber in my lifetime. All we seem to get stuck with anymore are Bushes and Romneys :(

The same sort of bureaucrats who'd want the "tear down this wall" line taken out because it was a charged statement and divisive.

Then on the Left there are the Jimmy Carters who insisted that the USSR would always be there and we'd just need to co-exist with global imperialist Communism.

Jimmy Carter continues to suck up to Communist dictators after leaving office and I have no doubt in my mind that President Obama will do the same with his buddy Hugo Chavez and others.

[VeniVidiVici]

Gorbachev, Gaddafi, and Arafat...nice company.

LOL! I thought so at the time and even more so now.

They were expecting trouble especially with Gorbachev there. They had water cannons at every block hidden one street over from the main parade route. Though, surprisingly, it stayed calm that day.

[GilesB]

Thank you for posting this, and making me aware that today is the anniversary See my thoughts: http://www.truthhasachance.com/2012/06/12/mr-gorbachov-tear-down-this-wall/

[21twelve]

I just posted my recollection of Reagan’s speech awhile ago I think in response to Obama’s comments regarding gay marriage. IIRC, in Noonan’s book she makes the point of whatever is said in a Presidential speech then becomes official U.S. policy. So - a big deal with the “Tear down this wall” comment. And IIRC, Reagan penned in the line on the final, approved version of the speech in the limo ride to the wall.

I recall watching the wall come down on the news, and it was really unbelievable. And then later with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Spend your entire life under the threat of Nuclear Annihilation between us and the Soviets, and -— gone.

Well, at least for a few years we were free of that fear. (Or at least I was). Now we have terrorists, China, etc. And perhaps Russia again.

[rottndog]

Your welcome. I was kind of shocked this morning when I saw this. Hard to believe a quarter century has passed already.

[DannyTN]

Now THAT was a leader!

[Marathoner]

I wish we had another Reagan.

Problem is, when we do get one the communist media crucifies them (see Sarah Palin)

[Marathoner]

I wish we had another Reagan.

Problem is, when we do get one the communist media crucifies them (see Sarah Palin)

[Marathoner]

Sorry about the duplicate.