Political Quotes

“Mr. President, November 9, 1989, was the day the Berlin Wall came down, a day we can all be proud. It is a day that reminds us of the power of democratic values and ideals. I am filled with happiness as I remember that wonderful day 25 years ago. I am a proud American, there is no other country blessed with such opportunity, but the roots of my heritage lie in Poland. I grew up in a home that kept the heritage of the old country alive. As a child of World War II, Europe has always been fundamental to my life. Together with my family I watched Poland fall, along with Hungary and the Czech Republic and others, behind the Iron Curtain. I remember when Poland was sold out at Yalta and Potsdam because of an ill-conceived agreement. These countries became captive nations. We watched as a wall was built in Berlin. Those in East Berlin found themselves behind not only the Iron Curtain but the Berlin Wall as well, cut off from family, friends, and their livelihoods. I am proud that Americans stood up at this moment--the famous Berlin Airlift provided those in West Berlin during the Berlin Blockade. The United States, with our allies, delivered basic necessities, food, and fuel. We all stood with President Kennedy as he declared ``Ich bin ein Berliner.'' American leadership was instrumental in making small cracks in the wall. As Madeline Albright, whose heritage is also rooted in Eastern Europe like my own, has said of the United States, 'We are the indispensable nation.…”