BACKGROUND: The Berlin wall divided a city, but also symbolized the separation of the Communist East from the West, the Soviet Union from the rest of Europe, and effectively the U.S and other non-communist nations. It stood for the Cold War. After WW2, the U.S. and NATO, with what was known as the Marshall Plant, helped rebuild Berlin and Western Germany. But people constantly fled from East to West of the city, so in 1961, the wall was erected under the orders of the Soviet leader, Nikita Kruschev. In 1989 the East German government allowed free travel from East to West, and families could be together again, for a while. Finally, it was pulled down forever in 1990, as the Soviet Union was in turmoil, and let it be said, due to the desire of leader Mikhail Gorbachev for openness and peace.

This persuasive speech by Ronald Reagan, at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, on June 12, 1987, was a magnificent, powerful plea to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to communicate and grasp the chance of a better life. It was from the heart of one, to the hearts and minds of many.

REAGAN'S CHARISMA: When I first considered an in-depth look at the speech, I had to open my mind and abandon all preconceived ideas. Although aware that this president was a Republican, a leader prepared to take up arms, a strong ally of Britain and close friend of Margaret Thatcher (a woman I could never admire), that was about all I knew. Of course, I knew he was a Hollywood actor who never COULD remember his lines, but as a man, I saw him to be sincere, funny, self-deprecating and having a big heart and strong principles. I may not have agreed with his politics or actions on the world stage, but I liked and admired him. When I looked at and listened to this speech, I was blown away. Oh, I know Tom Robinson wrote it for Reagan, but he would never have delivered it so well, had he not believed in what he was saying. He was talking to the world, not just the Berliners in front of him.

THE SPEECH: His opening words reinforced the connections between the presidency, the U.S. and Berlin. He aligned himself with John F. Kennedy, who visited in 1963, knowing how all the listening world would recognize, recall and think. "We come to Berlin...We American presidents, because it is our duty to speak, in this place of freedom." The use of commas, with significant pauses, lent more power to his words. The tone was confidential, almost conversational and quite poetic when he

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