Editorial April 9, 1990 Issue

Free indeed

Ann Kenrick

The Armistice Day celebrations of November 1989 will long be remembered around the world as the first time that tens of thousands of East Germans crossed over into West Berlin and rejoiced in this freedom.

One young German summed it up for a whole generation, perhaps, when a reporter asked him why he had come over the border. He replied, as I recall, quite simply, "I just want to know what it feels like to be free!" We can empathize with this natural desire of the human heart for liberty. We all want the freedom to follow the aspirations and the dictates of our own conscience.

This yearning for liberty is making the headlines in many parts of the world. It's not a new phenomenon, of course; wars have been fought throughout history for the right of people to determine their own destinies. Sadly, such battles are being waged in a few areas around the world even as I write. But there is good news, too. Free elections are taking place in some countries, and new democracies are replacing dictatorships.

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