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| Europe |
| Ronald Reagan's son lobbies for memorial in Berlin |
| 2008-07-01 |
| The son of former US President Ronald Reagan has called for a memorial to his father near Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate. Michael Reagan, the 63-year-old adopted son of the late American leader, said during a visit to the German capital on Monday night that his father’s determination during the Cold War in the 1980s deserved to be recognized with a large statue, bust or even a plaque. Just a reminder: LINK Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004, came to West Berlin in 1987 to demand the communists end the division of the city. Addressing then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in front of the Berlin Wall near the Brandenburg Gate, Reagan uttered the now famous phrase: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Reagan said his father’s contributions to the freedom of Germans should be honoured in a prominent place in Berlin, ideally near the Brandenburg Gate. “But the exact location is still an open question that must be determined together with the Berliners,” he said. He said he was hoping to find German sponsors for the memorial and wanted to have it installed within the next year. Frank Henkel, the secretary general of Berlin's conservative Christian Democrats, told daily newspaper Die Welt he supported efforts to honour the former US president. "Ronald Reagan undeniably did a lot for Germany," Henkel said. "A memorial plaque on the fence of the new American embassy would be appropriate." |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #3 'Ole Ronnie had to all but drag many members of NATO kicking and screaming towards ending the Cold War. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-07-01 20:17 |
| #2 Why won't either party run a guy like Reagan, look what we get to choose from instead. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-01 18:05 |
| #1 "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" |
| Posted by: Mike 2008-07-01 16:13 |