D.C. Was Great!

I don't have much time as I'm writing this, but I thought I would start the post.  My first trip to D.C. was about a week ago, and I went as a chaperone for a group of RJHS 8th graders on a school trip.  I will eventually add to this, but my three favorite sites were Ford Theater, Lincoln Memorial, and Washington's Mt. Vernon plantation.

7-25-19

Okay, I now have a little time to expand on this, and to be honest, I feel like writing a little today - perhaps because it's raining out; perhaps because I have gotten a lot of little "to-do" things done around the house this week; and perhaps because I've read all of my summer books I purchased.

D.C. had a some profound effects on me.  Let me share a few.

1) The absence of Indigenous American tributes.  In the time we were in D.C., we didn't see any.  I'm sure they exist somewhere, but if I put myself in the perspective of an Indigenous American, and I look around and see what I see, I imagine I can't be disappointed.  For example, we visited the Holocaust Museum, and it was AMAZING.  A lot of design, planning, effort, money, and vision was put into that memorial so that visitors could learn and experience and hopefully develop a better appreciation of the event.  How many people were dislocated and systematically killed off by the Hitler and his Nazi Party?  Didn't the United States perform something similar with Indigenous people?  Didn't actions like the Indian Removal Act intentionally and systematically dislocate thousands of humans?  So I suppose opponents would argue that Andrew Jackson, though, didn't load these folks in cattle cars and execute them in gas chambers; therefore, the U.S. can't be compared to Nazi Germany.  History does reveal, though, that instead of loading them up and executing them, the U.S. moved them to remote and unwanted (at the time) desert lands and virtually let them fend for themselves to survive.  The U.S. provided a "show" of concern and assistance through contracts and treaties that were consistently broken and still does to this day. 

All of this didn't really hit me until we were at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  To be honest, this memorial was also a bit deflating because of its size and particular position in the grand scheme of the layout of that part of D.C.  At least, though, I felt like African Americans were somewhat "at the dance" of commemorating who and what is the United States.  It's a beautiful monument, even though to me it seems somewhat hidden and pales in comparison to Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson.  But at least it's there.  I feel like Indigenous Americans deserve a place like that too "at the dance".  Maybe there is something, and we just didn't visit.

2) D.C. made me feel patriotic, and it made me question our current political landscape.  I have no doubts that all the "biggies" that have monuments and museums had weaknesses and weren't perfect human beings.  I kept finding myself asking, though, how in the heck did our country elect a human like Donald Trump after a history of such amazing people and events?  How did that happen?  Walking around and seeing all the monuments and documentation of greatness and achievements and patriotism and passion for the United States was incredible...and then I see the White House and think about who is living there and in charge as President, and it's all just confusing.

3) Words really do matter.  As an English teacher, I value the power of words, and I get frustrated with my students when I can't seem to get them to appreciate the importance of language and what communicating with each other can do.  Everywhere, and I MEAN EVERYWHERE were words etched in the monuments of the more famous and inspirational words and phrases communicated by these folks.  How leaders communicate and what they say has the power to move peoples and nations and history.  Humans will ALWAYS need people that are gifted and trained in the use of words - to inspire us, to heal us, to sympathize with us, and to comfort us.  Words do matter - then, now, and beyond.

4) Everyone U.S. citizen should visit and tour our nation's capital at least once.  We pay taxes; we follow laws; we contribute our votes; we are either descendants of our founding fathers or our ancestors traveled here because of the opportunity that existed.  I'm sure like the center of other countries, D.C. is who we are.