Posted by
Ron Devito on Monday, November 09, 2009 6:13:25 AM
Following is a complete transcript of Governor Palin's Facebook note pertaining to the fall of the Berlin Wall:
Twenty years ago, the ultimate symbol of the division between freedom
and tyranny was torn down. The Berlin Wall was constructed for one
purpose: to prevent the escape of East Germans to the freedom of the
West. The Wall’s cold, gray façade was a stark reminder of the economic
and political way of life across the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence
in Eastern Europe (Palin, 2009, ¶1).
Ronald Reagan never stopped regarding the Berlin Wall as an affront to
human freedom. When so many other American leaders and opinion makers
had come to accept its presence as inevitable and permanent, Reagan
still hammered away at the Wall’s very premise in human tyranny, until
finally the Wall itself was hammered down. Its downfall wasn’t the work
of Reagan alone. Our president’s actions were joined with the brave
acts of many individuals who stood firm and united in facing the Soviet
Union. The Berlin Wall came down because millions of people behind the
Iron Curtain refused to accept the fate of enslavement and their
supporters in the West refused to accept that the “captive nations”
would remain captive forever (Palin, 2009, ¶2).
Though that long, tragic episode in human history had come to a close
finally with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it wasn’t the
“end of history” or the end of conflict as some had hoped. New
conflicts confront us today throughout the world which call for courage
and resolve and dedication to freedom. The new democracies and market
economies that have emerged in Central and Eastern Europe still require
our friendship and alliances as they continue to seek security,
prosperity, and self-determination. But as we reflect on present and
future challenges, let’s take time to celebrate the anniversary of this
awesome victory for freedom. The downfall of that cold, gray concrete
Wall should be a lesson to us in hope. Nothing is inevitable. Tyranny
is no match for the hope and resolve of those who work and fight for
freedom (Palin, 2009, ¶3).
- Sarah Palin
Commentary:
In three beautiful and succinct paragraphs, Governor Palin delineated
the history of the Berlin Wall and segued into the conflicts we face
today. Her third paragraph is
Presidential and
Reagan Conservative to the core.
Providentially, a piece of the Berlin wall resides in an open public
atrium just across the street and slightly diagonal from 10 East 53rd
St., New York, NY -- home to Harper Collins. This building is now most
familiar to Governor Palin, as she made a number of trips there while
working on
Going Rogue: An American Life.
Berlin Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave.
New York, NY. Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).
Berlin Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave.
New York, NY. Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).
Berlin
Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave. New
York, NY. This photo shows the relationship between the Section's
Location and Harper Collins -- the publisher of Going Rogue
Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).
References:
Palin,
S.L.H. (2009, November 9). "Commemorating a Victory for Freedom."
Facebook, Sarah Palin. Retrieved November 9, 2009 from:
http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin?v=wall&ref=mf#/note.php?note_id=170146378434&ref=mf