Thinking Aloud

A choice to build walls or tear them down

Trump's politics of fear drives the news cycle, while Merkel's message of hope inspires

ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
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There is a video I like to watch on YouTube of a children's choir standing barefoot in the sands of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, and singing.

They dedicate their song, When You Believe, to all the soldiers who fought in World War II, for Omaha Beach was where thousands of soldiers sacrificed themselves some 75 years ago during the D-day invasion of June 1944 to pave the way for Europe's liberation from Nazi tyranny.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 16, 2019, with the headline A choice to build walls or tear them down. Subscribe