1. Short thread.

A friend writes (but asks that he not be credited by name, as he's concerned about his family's security!):

"If you have ever been to Prague, you may have gone to the City Hall, and seen, but not stared, at its walls.

2. "During the 1968 demonstrations, Russian soldiers fired bullets into the crowds, and some of those bullets scarred the walls of the City Hall.

After 'order' had been restored, the local Moscow-serving authorities decided to repair the damage the Russian bullets had caused...

3. "...and recruited the finest masons in Prague to undertake the repairs.

But--unbeknown to the authorities, the master masons deliberately mixed mortar that would crumble, disintegrate, and fall after awhile...and make it even more difficult to repair afterwards.

4. "The reason? They wanted the scars caused by Russian bullets to remain, to show future generations of Czechs what had happened in their country in 1968. This was told to me proudly by a guide on a tour of Prague; I remember his voice breaking as he recounted this story.

5. "So perhaps the scars inflicted by domestic terrorists in the Capitol should not be repaired, painted, or papered over, but left for future generations of Americans to see how fragile democracy is...

6. "...and what happens when a man without conscience or character becomes President of the United States."

END