In all honesty this blog is dedicated to Ms. Courtney Young, Esquire.....
She has made it no secret whatsoever that she hearts Obama A LOT! So here you go Court, this one's for you ;) ...............
I heard Obama was coming to town and I wasn't sure if I'd go, but took my camera along just in case......As it so happened, I was in the area at the right time ;)
Here is the Siegessaule (Victory Column) where Obama (we say that so much I am starting to think that is his first name ;) was to try to follow in Kennedy and Reagan's footsteps....
Glad that there were enough coppers around (don't worry Courtney, your Obama was safe) - all of those are Polizei vans...
The masses gather.....(to the tune of AC/DC's 'Thunder') 'OBAMA!' 'OBAMA!' No, not really ;) But they did have a guy singing that sounded a lot like Bono.... (that almost sounds like those 'Holiday Inn' commercials ;)
This is the June 17th Street, named in honor of the uprising of East German workers against the GDR in 1953. Berlin closes it down every now and then and turns it into a carnival location whenever they want to have a party - and this was, in a way....the rock star was coming to visit US! US!! ;) (That was the feeling anyway....)
Off in the distance is the Brandenburg Gate where Reagan spoke, 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'. Obama wanted to speak there, but German political-correctness got in the way (only PRESIDENTS, not candidates (and for that matter, he isn't even THE Democratic candidate ;) get to speak at the Brandenburg Gate) and he was relegated to speak at the Siegessaule.
The Siegessaule (Victory Column) used to stand in front of the Reichstag (until Hitler moved it to its present location) and was made to celebrate Prussian/German victories over Denmark, France, etc. in the late 1800's.
Again, German political-correctness (given their past, they REALLY DO NOT LIKE WAR - celebrating them, etc.) was evident with some wondering 'should Obama speak in front of a memorial that celebrates war?' ;) Every country's got their 'sore spots'....
After seeing the Siegessaule so much, it was interesting to see it with an American flag nearby....this was an American flag hanging off of a sausage stand ;)
It was definitely a 'party' atmosphere, but more subdued...beer, sausages were in abundance and A LOAD OF PEOPLE! Security was SLOW and SLOW, but I was admitted to the mosh pit, I mean....inner sanctum ;)
Well, finally that 'magic moment' arrived and Obama spoke to 'the people'. He is just off to the left of the guy with the noggin in the middle.
The people listen....in....English....amazingly enough though, apparently a lot of people understood.
I don't know...Europeans have a 'joke' they like: what do you call someone who only speaks one language? AN AMERICAN!!' Haha....hee....ewww....
Point is, when the former LDS president would travel to another country, he'd at least get a translator, he didn't just assume that 'everyone' spoke English. Anyway....I just didn't like it....it strengthened the 'arrogant' stereotype of Americans that Europeans already have....oh well.....
I don't think the opposite situation would have gone down very well in the States, i.e. foreign leader giving complete speech in non-native language....I honestly think Americans would be like 'ya come to the US, speak English!' Wait...it seems like I've heard that elsewhere....
So, yes! There he is! Isn't it hilarious! That was, from much further back, more or less my view of the rock star - a 'teleprompter' 'head' with a body in a suit! Haha....if only I wanted to make some comments, but I won't - I don't know Mr. Obama well enough yet.
Haha...interesting....
'And then there were none...'
I don't like the human/German habit of throwing their trash all over! Interesting how much they clapped at his 'take care of the environment' comments, but then when the 'practice' comes into play....GRRR....
NEWS FLASH EVERYBODY! As soon as we all, me included, stop being hypocrites, then there will be massive changes in the world!
But for now....'be the change that you want to see in the world" - Gandhi.
I went around the Siegessaule to get one more glimpse....
And the crowds disperse....
My Mom asked me what I thought of what he said. I wrote her:
"peace, peace, Berlin Airlift, overcome communism, keep on going in Afghanistan, hand over Iraq to the Iraqis, peace, love, freedom.... in other words, not much and even though they clapped, they (the Germans) didn't (think much of it) either.....they were like 'he didn't say anything specific!' I also mentioned the 'speech in English' thing and how that just proves that it wasn't for Germans/Europeans, it was 'look at me! I have so much 'international' experience now! Don't worry, I can be your president, US of A!'
Which of course I find pathetic, almost just as much as I find McCain's sell-out left and right! (In 2000 I actually liked McCain, but he wants the 'prize' BAD, and thus he has been willing to do wrong things/give up on things he once believed in!) Obama...you can't go 'visit' Iraq, Jordan, Berlin, Paris, etc. in a WEEK and wipe away the 'I have NO international experience'!! (I agree that living abroad is very helpful, HOWEVER, living in Indonesia as a child doesn't count as 'high-level' international experience!)
Okay, okay....enough, enough.....
But here you go....here's to hope! Again, I don't know what and how he'll do it (he wants a world without nuclear weapons - GOOD LUCK!!), but here's to hope!
