THIS WALL! 

Photo courtesy of Rima Jasiukonis Raulinaitis, California.

In a week it is 23 years since he held his famous 'Brandenburg Gate' speech, where his appeal to the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" 

We will over the next few months bring more articles about what has happened with Lithuania and other nations that lay east of the infamous Iron Curtain after these countries around 1990 finally could celebrate their new-found freedom - after 50 years of merciless oppression.

The article below, which deals with Reagan's life and his importance to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the huge developments Eastern Europe has experienced since that time, is written by Vin Karnila, associate editor of VilNews.

You, dear readers, are hereby invited to indicate YOUR views!

Aage Myhre

Editor

Text: Vin Karnila

6 February 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, John/Jack and Nelle (Clyde Wilson) Reagan celebrated the birth of their new son Ronald Wilson Reagan. Little did they know that this child would grow up to be a renowned TV and screen actor, the 33^rd Governor of California, the 40^th President of the United States and ultimately one of the most prominent people in the global fight against communism?

While the month of February marks the beginning of President Reagan’s career, the month of June marks two other important events of this influential world leader. Sadly, 5 June 2004 marks his passing. 12 June 1987 marks the date Ronald Reagan delivered his famous “Tear down this wall” speech at the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin Wall. The speech was a part of the ceremonies commemorating the 750th anniversary of the city of Berlin. While standing in front of what had become to be known as an international symbol of the blight communism was to all societies in the world that cherished freedom, Reagan challenged Gorbachev, then the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, to tear down the Wall and open the Brandenburg Gate as a symbol of Reagan's desire for increasing freedom in the Eastern Bloc.

His most notable quote from the speech;

Mr. Gorbachev -- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A

Another memorable quote from the speech;

 “As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner (quote):

 "This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality."

Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.”

It is the opinion of many that this speech, while not the initial spark that lit the fires that burned for freedom, for these fires had been burning for many years in many countries in Europe, was the catalyst that turned the fires of freedom into a raging inferno that would engulf all of Europe and eventually lead to the final actions resulting in the restoration of freedom for millions of people in many nations.

As the 40^th President of the United States, Ronal Reagan became affectionately known as “The Great Communicator”. The man had incredible ability to convey his messages. While Ronald Reagan could use his oratorical powers to fight communism in very dramatic fashion, his communication skills and his wonderful charisma also allowed him to use some very amusing antidotes and stories as a part of his arsenal in his fight against communism.

One of Reagan’s favorite stories concerned a man who goes to the Soviet bureau of transportation to order an automobile. He is informed that he will have to put down his money now, but there is a 10-year wait. The man fills out all the various forms, has them processed through the various agencies, and finally he gets to the last agency. He pays them his money and they say, ‘Come back in 10 years and get your car.’ He asks, ‘Morning or afternoon?’ The man in the agency says, ‘We’re talking about 10 years from now. What difference does it make?’ He replies, ‘The plumber is coming in the morning.’

As with all great leaders there can always be some controversy. Ironically for Ronald Reagan, his greatest controversy came from his efforts to fight communism, specifically his “Reagan Doctrine” instituted in 1983.

The “Reagan Doctrine” was used to characterize the Reagan administration’s 1981-1988 policy of supporting anti-Communist insurgents wherever they might be. In his 1985 State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan called upon Congress and the American people to stand up to the Soviet Union that he had previously called the “Evil Empire”

 "We must stand by all our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent"

President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy broke from the doctrine of “Containment,” established during the Truman administration and was based on John Foster Dulles’ “Roll-Back” strategy from the 1950s. This policy called for the United States to actively push back the influence of the Soviet Union . Reagan’s policy differed, however, in the sense that he relied primarily on the overt support of those fighting Soviet dominance. This strategy was perhaps best summarized in the NSC National Security Decision Directive 75. This 1983 directive stated that a central priority of the U.S. in its policy toward the Soviet Union would be “to contain and over time reverse Soviet expansionism,” particularly in the developing world.

 As the directive noted:

 "The U.S. must rebuild the credibility of its commitment to resist Soviet encroachment on U.S. interests and those of its Allies and friends, and to support effectively those Third World states that are willing to resist Soviet pressures or oppose Soviet initiatives hostile to the United States, or are special targets of Soviet policy."

To that end, the Reagan administration focused much of its energy on supporting proxy armies that were fighting to curtail Soviet influence.

As I stated, the “Reagan Doctrine” still remains as one of the most controversial aspects of Ronald Reagan’s service to the United States and to the world. While doing some research to get some specific dates for this article, I somehow came across a BLOG that had ongoing postings regarding the “Reagan Doctrine”. In this one posting a person had went on and on and on and on about all the people and countries that the “Reagan Doctrine” had opposed and how Reagan should have left his nose out of other country’s affairs, etc, etc. Reading all this I was thinking that WOW twenty seven years later there are still people ranting and raving about this!!! What really caught my attention was the response to this person’ BLOG posting – It read simply “Instead of talking about all the people he opposed why don’t you talk about all the people he (Reagan) supported”

Well here are some comments from some of the people Ronald Reagan supported;

"Czechs should not forget that Ronald Reagan is one reason that they are enjoying their present freedom."
-Czech Daily Newspaper "Mlada Fronta Dnes"

"His [Reagan's] consistent championing of freedom contributed decisively to overcoming the division of Europe and Germany. We Germans have much to thank Ronald Reagan for"
-Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl

 "Somewhere at the turn of the 1980s a number of politicians and others at different points on the globe began moving towards a single goal: the overthrow of the murderous communist system that had the blood of 200 million people on its hands. Reagan was one of the world leaders who made a major contribution to communism's collapse."

"President Ronald Reagan will be remembered in the hearts of all Latvians as a fighter for freedom, liberty and justice worldwide"
-Latvian Pesident Vaira Vike-Freiberga

And from a man that will go down in history as being one of the greatest leaders of Lithuania, one of the people that not only Lithuania but much of Europe can thank their regained freedom for and a man that will be remembered as one of communism’s greatest opponents

"A man died who believed in freedom and changed the world. This is President Ronald Reagan, to whom Lithuania is grateful and will remain grateful for his firm resistance to the Evil Empire, giving us an opportunity for us to regain our freedom and return to democracy."
-Former Lithuanian parliamentary Speaker Vytautas Landsbergis

We have much to thank Ronald Wilson Reagan for. Not only Lithuania and all Lithuanians living throughout the world but all the people of all the countries that suffered for so long under the dark cloud of communism that was forced upon them. It would almost be impossible to list every person, who in their own way fought to remove this dark cloud that blocked the light of freedom from too many parts of the world. What we can do though is honor and give our thanks to some of the people that emerged into the world’s spotlight to oppose communism’s oppression and help restore freedom to so many people in so many countries.

I will leave you with one more quote from “The Great Communicator” and ask you to think of what you can do to preserve freedom for the next generation.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

Su pagarbe

Vin Karnila

Associate editor