Speaking of Freedom
The Collected Speeches
introduction
Two decades ago, the world was in the midst of a historic transformation. The years between 1989 and 1991 saw remarkable change all over the world -- from the crumbling of the Berlin Wall in Europe, to the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union, to the rebirth of democracy all across South America, and the first test of a new determination to repel aggression in the Persian Gulf. It was a remarkable time in the history of freedom. None of us alive today is likely to see such dramatic events again, ever.
All over the world, ordinary people were caught up in extraordinary times: the welder, Lech Walesa, who led the shipyard workers of Poland to Solidarity; the playwright, Václav Havel, who was released from jail and became President of Czechoslovakia; the son of a peasant farmer, Mikhail Gorbachev, who presided over the peaceful dismantling of the Soviet Union. Through it all, many of the sons and daughters of the American heartland wore the uniform of the American soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, and made their contributions as they always ... read full excerpt from: Speaking of Freedom: The Collected Speeches ebook
