Post 2

Kennedy’s message in this speech was to show Democratic support for the Germans residing in West Berlin, to give them hope for a better future, and to condemn the actions of the Communistic Soviets. In the early 1960s, Cold War tensions were reaching a fever pitch in Berlin as many Germans’ residing in East Berlin lived in discontent under Communist occupation. Before the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961, millions were fleeing from Eastern Germany to Western Germany to seek a better life in a democratic society. To halt any more people from escaping Soviet-supported East Germany, a wall was erected to keep Eastern Germans in and to cease any movement between the East and West. In Kennedy’s speech, he emphasizes the issues between the free world and the Communist world, sympathizes with their struggle for freedom against Communism, and gives them hope for a better future without inhumane restraint.

The issue between the free world of the United States and its allies and the Communist world of Soviet Russia and China is the lack of freedom and rights given to their people. Kennedy makes it a point to paint the Communist Party in a broad stroke as an evil system. He places a strong emphasis on the difference between Berlin and “the Communists” by telling those who don’t believe Communism to be the destruction of freedom to come to Berlin and bear witness to what Soviet Russia has done to the citizens of Germany. Kennedy acknowledges the road to obtaining freedom and democracy is not an easy one and he contrasts the actions of the Soviets by stating that the United States has never put a wall up to oppress their people. He continues by stating the actions of the Communists are, “an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity”. The Berlin wall symbolizes the cruel and desperate tactics to keep the system of Communism from failing and underlines their ultimate ruthlessness in separating loved ones from one another to further repress the Germans.   

Kennedy begins to close his speech by expressing to the people of Berlin that they deserve to have the right to freedom, to be reunited with their families, and for the whole nation of Germany to live in, “lasting peace, with goodwill to all people”. He leaves hope for the people of Berlin and Germany, to remain steadfast in their hope for a better future and see past the dangers of today. Freedom will come to Berlin, to all of Germany, and to the whole Continent of Europe in time. Kennedy closes his speech by stating all free men, are citizens of Berlin and take pride in saying “ ’Ich bin ein Berliner’ ”. Simply put, he is expressing that he is a free man. A free man from conformity, injustice, oppression, and subjugation to infringement of his God-given rights.