"Shoot to Kill"

By Albert Mohler

The Iron Curtain fell almost two decades ago. Many Americans do not even remember the horrors of the communist regime of East Germany and the human atrocity known as the Berlin Wall.

Do we remember that the communist East German government ordered its police to shoot those who were guilty of nothing more than trying to escape communist tyranny?

In recent years, apologists for European communism have tried to deny that such "shoot to kill" orders even existed. But just within the past few weeks a 1973 order for the Stasi--the East German secret police--has come to light. The order calls upon the police to "stop or liquidate" those trying to escape, and includes these chilling words:

"Do not hesitate to use your firearm, not even when the border is breached in the company of women and children, which the traitors have often used to their advantage."

Not only did the "shoot to kill" order exist--it was worse than we even thought. So much for rehabilitating communism.