tear wall tear wall line speech president ronald_reagan june calling leader soviet_union open barrier divided west background tear wall speech time reagan addressed issue berlin wall visit june stated like ask soviet leaders question wall years construction wall response west german newspaper asking thought wall torn reagan said responsible today day reagan visit people demonstrated presence american president berlin visit wide berlin shut event suppress protests district particular targeted respect movement portion city effect restrained completely instance subway line shut speech source considerable controversy reagan administration senior aides advising phrase saying cause east west tensions potential embarrassment president reagan built good relationship omitted american officials west_germany presidential including thought robinson traveled west_germany inspect potential speech venues gained overall sense majority opposed wall despite getting little support suggesting reagan demand wall removal robinson kept phrase speech text president reagan met responded speech saying thought good solid draft white_house chief staff objected saying sounded extreme deputy national security advisor agreed reagan liked passage saying think leave chief gives account line origins directly reagan article published wall_street_journal november gives detailed account meeting prior robinson draft reagan came line records vivid impressions reaction robinson time led friendly exchange letters robinson differing accounts wall_street_journal published speech arriving berlin june president reagan taken viewed wall balcony reagan speech gate glass spectators west german president chancellor mayor afternoon reagan said welcome change believe freedom security advance human liberty strengthen cause world peace sign soviets advance dramatically cause freedom peace general secretary seek peace seek prosperity soviet_union eastern_europe seek come gate open gate tear wall later speech president reagan said looked moment ago embodiment german unity noticed words spray painted wall young wall fall beliefs reality yes europe wall fall withstand faith withstand truth wall withstand freedom highlight speech reagan end arms race reference soviets nuclear weapons possibility merely limiting growth arms eliminating time entire class nuclear weapons face earth response legacy speech received relatively little coverage media time magazine reported years later east german member considered speech absurd soviet press agency accused reagan giving openly provocative war speech west german chancellor said forget standing near reagan challenged tear berlin wall stroke luck world especially europe interview reagan recalls east german police allowing people near wall prevented citizens experiencing speech fact west german police acted similar way seldom noted accounts white_house drafted address said famous line inspired conversation remarked conversation man talk prove getting rid wall despite reagan urging tear berlin wall time commented little evidence speech impact decision tear wall let impact people addressed critic article atlantic points reasons tendency american media focus significance particular speech weighing complexity events east west_germany soviet_union senior diplomat berlin time reagan speech ambassador germany said speech wasn elevated current status wall came
Tear down this wall!