Dear Mrs. Merkel - An Open Letter To The Chancellor Of Germany

The lady at the left with the kindly eyes and the "grandmotherly" concern that seems to infuse her face is Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. Mrs. Merkel has joined a very select few, women who head up democracies, freely elected by their peoples. Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Maier to name a few and now, to that list add this former physicist now head of one of the leaders of Europe.

Merkel was elected some 10 months ago but has a history of political activity that is more important than her election to the chancellorship.

Dear Mrs. Merkel,
You don't know me, nor will you likely know me, but I am an American born in Germany in 1946. My dad was in the US Army in WWII and was part of the occupation when I was born. In the Fifties, we again lived in Germany and my heart still resides there oft times when I think about my childhood. I'm much older now, nearing retirement and I often think about the relationships between our two countries.

In my childhood, we were close and the needs and aspirations of the Germans were close to the needs and aspirations of the Americans. Freedom being foremost. I was greatly disheartened when the Berlin Wall went up, and I really didn't think it would come down in my lifetime. I thrilled when John Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech and in '91 when that awful wall came down, the grin on my face took weeks to dissolve.

Then, something happened; our two countries began to drift farther and farther apart. Our media and the media in Germany took harder and harder stances against each other, our two peoples became more and more distrustful of each other. Germany decided, perhaps, that her best bets lay with the European Union and the policies of the EU. America sort of dithered during the 90's. Then came the crisis in the Balkans and once again, through NATO the two countries had a common cause.

September 11th came and Germany stood with us in our determination to take out the Taliban and continues to have troops in Afghanistan, and for that, I am quite grateful. The US then invaded Iraq with a number of allies and the differences between Germany and the US became more important than our similarities. I mourn the loss.

When you were elected Chancellor, I again rejoiced and expressed hope that once again, the United States and Germany could find common cause against an implacable foe, the islamofascists and all that that perversion represents. I still have that hope. I understand that many in Germany do not see the threat that I and many of my countrymen do, and I hope that this divide will not keep us apart. I do know that Germany must come to grips with both an increased presence of islamofascists, and must do something regarding its need for "Gastarbeiter." But don't believe that the problem has an easy solution. Germany has allowed Turkish citizens in for a long time, and many of those folk and their children, and their grandchildren are still there, and still "temporary."

There doesn't seem to be anything as permanent as a temporary governmental program does there? At any rate, I'm hoping that Germany can weather the coming storm and continue to prosper.

Consider this in your deliberations regarding the relationship between our two countries, we still have far more that unites us, than we do that divides us.

Sincerely,
GM Roper
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