I lived in Berlin from the ages of six to twelve … no, actually, I grew up in Berlin. My father moved the family to Berlin a few weeks after the conclusion of the Berlin Airlift in 1949 until 1956. Dad worked as Religious Affairs Advisor to the U.S. Commission, liaising with the churches in East Germany and addressing their needs. At the same time, he would gather strategic information which, upon debrief, he would report to the U.S. Commission, a sort of double agent you might call him.
Then, for three years, he was named Senior Representative for the Lurtheran World Federation, a refugee relief organization, attending the needs of those people fleeing into Berlin from East Germany as well as from other Soviet satellite countries. For his service during this period of the post-WWII reconstruction of Germany, he was awarded the Order of Merit by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the highest honor given an ordinary citizen.
By the time our family finally returned to South Dakota in 1956, approximately 7,000 people a week were fleeing into Berlin, escaping the oppressive policies of the Soviet regime and the East German Stassi. Keep in mind, these people had already experienced the same during Hitler’s NAZI regime. Finally, in 1961, the situation got so bad that to curtail the flow of refugees (immigrants), the Soviets built a WALL which was guarded by military troops and their dogs. The order was to shoot on sight anyone trying to flee. Still, the people came any way they could. Walls don’t stop the will of the people.
Finally, when sanity began to return and the Soviets realized that their WALL wasn’t working, President Reagan called on Gorbachev, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that WALL!” and, by God, he did in 1989.
So … President Drumpf … sir. What makes you think that a WALL will solve anything? Walls don’t work, you idiot! Even the Chinese realized that. Why can’t you?
—David Soul
Walls Don’t Work
I lived in Berlin from the ages of six to twelve … no, actually, I grew up in Berlin. My father moved the family to Berlin a few weeks after the conclusion of the Berlin Airlift in 1949 until 1956. Dad worked as Religious Affairs Advisor to the U.S. Commission, liaising with the churches in East Germany and addressing their needs. At the same time, he would gather strategic information which, upon debrief, he would report to the U.S. Commission, a sort of double agent you might call him.
Then, for three years, he was named Senior Representative for the Lurtheran World Federation, a refugee relief organization, attending the needs of those people fleeing into Berlin from East Germany as well as from other Soviet satellite countries. For his service during this period of the post-WWII reconstruction of Germany, he was awarded the Order of Merit by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the highest honor given an ordinary citizen.
By the time our family finally returned to South Dakota in 1956, approximately 7,000 people a week were fleeing into Berlin, escaping the oppressive policies of the Soviet regime and the East German Stassi. Keep in mind, these people had already experienced the same during Hitler’s NAZI regime. Finally, in 1961, the situation got so bad that to curtail the flow of refugees (immigrants), the Soviets built a WALL which was guarded by military troops and their dogs. The order was to shoot on sight anyone trying to flee. Still, the people came any way they could. Walls don’t stop the will of the people.
Finally, when sanity began to return and the Soviets realized that their WALL wasn’t working, President Reagan called on Gorbachev, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that WALL!” and, by God, he did in 1989.
So … President Drumpf … sir. What makes you think that a WALL will solve anything? Walls don’t work, you idiot! Even the Chinese realized that. Why can’t you?
—David Soul