In the early 1960s my grandparents, Rose and Andrew Johnson, visited the “iron-curtain” countries with a group of American school leaders. It was a time of full-blown communism in the Balkans, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. My grandparents returned with hearts full of love for our republic. I remember Grandma’s saying that she felt like kissing the ground once they landed back in the USA. When we were in Russia about 25 years ago, I thought of my grandparents often. It was February, and St. Petersburg seemed like a dreary, cold, dismal place. Soldiers with weapons were everywhere, and products were locked up in the finest stores and guarded by armed security. So, when we returned last week from our tour of the Lower Danube and the now NON-communist countries, we renewed our determination to keep our country from the evils of communism and socialism of any kind. It is Election Day tomorrow. Our tour guides through Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania reminded us firmly of the depravation that the communists brought when they overtook their countries and confiscated homes, farms, churches, and businesses in 1956. When the communists left under Breshnev in 1991, they took the spoils and left the countries in ruin. Over thirty years later, these beautiful places have long-term recovery projects and people with hope that they will flourish once again.