Come here to this gate! Mr Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

President Ronald Reagan

 by Richard Ivory

“Tear Down this Wall” became the battle cry in the 1980′s for freedom lovers the world over hungering for Democracy in East Germany. President Regan’s eloquent yet firm challenge to the Soviet Union sent a clear message as far as where the United States stood with regards to liberty. The towering structure upon which Reagan chose to deliver his speech also conveyed a deep symbolism.

Brandenburg Gate, the name of the towering structure, was always seen as a symbol of the perseverance of the German people. In the past, The Brandenburg Gate was used as a symbol by conquering interests; and by the Nazis in particular as a means to promote propagandist campaigns. Remarkably, its structure managed to survive the constant bombings and attacks from the Allied Forces during World War II.

Despite years of the abuse of its symbolism, The Brandenburg Gate was clearly assembled with Democratic aspirations in mind. The Brandenburg Gate’s entire design is based on the Propylene, a classic Greek structure, which served as a gateway to Athens, the cradle of Democracy and birthplace of western civilization. It was no coincidence, therefore, when Regan gave his speech with The Brandenburg Gate towering over him to commemorate Berlin’s 750th anniversary. The speech and The Brandenburg Gate both demonstrated that the future of Germany lie with Democracy not Socialism.

As millions of people reflect on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we should all remember that ideas do matter; that ideas can either push a nation into tyranny or bring it to a better tomorrow.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Berlin! (Happy Birthday Berlin!)

Richard Ivory is a political consultant and writer for New Majority.com and is the founder of HipHopRepublican.com, he has worked for the Republican National Committee and was the college outreach director for the Republican Youth Majority