Actual photo of the military band at Merkel's departure ceremony
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germans to stand up to hatred, at a military ceremony Thursday bidding her farewell after 16 years in office.
Merkel was honored with a traditional military musical performance and march
in front of almost all the country's political elite — save for the far-right Alternative for Germany, who weren't invited.
"Our democracy also lives from the fact that wherever hatred and violence are seen as a legitimate means of pursuing one's interests,
our tolerance as democrats has to find its limit," said in a speech ahead of the ceremony.
The event, which was held at the Defense Ministry rather than in a more public setting due to pandemic constraints, involved a parade and a brass band playing three songs of Merkel's choice.
The first piece was "You Forgot the Color Film" released in 1974 by East German-born punk singer Nina Hagen. In it, the singer recounts a young woman's lament that her boyfriend failed to take color pictures of their beach holiday.
Comment: Over the years, Pope Francis has been a bit hit and miss, but his comments above reveal that he has some idea of the nefarious agenda afoot on our planet, and he is willing to, sometimes, speak out against it: