November 9th: A very big day in Germany

I vividly in remember 1989 — 24 years ago today — when the Berlin wall came down.  I was old enough to remember when the Berlin wall was built. That structure has always impressed me as an essential reminder of the evil nature of the Soviet system.  What kind of society has to be ready to shoot people to keep them from leaving?

A professor of German history once pointed out to me that there have been a number of landmark events in Germany that took place on November 9th: in 1918 Kaiser William abdicated the German throne and German liberal politicians proclaimed a German republic (sadly that didn't work out very well). In 1938 was Kristallnacht, when the Nazi’s organized brutal attacks on Jewish businesses and synagogues throughout Germany.  It was a terrible omen of what was to come. I’m glad I was alive November 9, 1989.  It was an event that gave me hope for the future of mankind.