Standing before the Berlin Wall, President Regan boldly challenged Mikhail Gorbachev in June of 1987: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Eventually, he did. After his wife, Raisa, passed away, Gorbachev went on to boldly advocate for nuclear disarmament, the protection of our precious environment, the elimination of poverty and he established a charitable foundation to fight children’s cancer.

He left a legacy of peace and compassion, a stark contrast to Vladimir Putin’s outrageous behavior. While it is admittedly unlikely that President Putin will change tack in the near future, we can still hope. And we can join Russia and the rest of the world in mourning an imperfect but honorable and good man: Mikhail Gorbachev.

Rev. Louis Phillips
Windham