Words Matter

I had the pleasure of visiting Washington D.C. last week, a trip I highly recommend.  For the record, I didn't make it up into the US Capitol Building or to the White House.  The Capitol was a 'we ran out of time' issue, but the White House was purposely avoided.  Until that defiled orangutang carcass is gone, I will not endorse, IN ANY WAY, the man who stains our democracy.

For the record, I never felt this way about about W.

There are plenty of great things to see in D.C.  Many of them are chiseled with words which convey a strong meaning, as powerful today as they were when they were enshrined years ago.  Nothing epitomizes this more than the The Wall, the Vietnam Veteran's memorial, which still invokes a strong level of emotion today.

The Lincoln Memorial is the busiest, especially with the Washington Monument closed until next year as they install a new elevator.  I love how Minnesota is dead square center at the top of the facade:

Lincoln himself has a little ode above his image.

And his most famous speech, albeit a little blurry, is off to the side of the monument.  The Gettysburg Address was a short speech, but I think the best speeches generally are the shorter ones.

The MLK Memorial is incredible.

To add weight (as if that is even needed) the memorial is covered with some of his greatest orations.  This one, especially in the age of our modern Conservative Christians, weighed heavy on me.

Jefferson was no slouch when it came to his impact on the country.  

His writings, although needing time to come to their full fruition, are melodic and inspiring.

But the biggest surprise for my family was the FDR Memorial.  They put it between the MLK and the Jefferson Memorial as a way to get people to walk the detour off the Mall to Jefferson's site.  To encourage the walk, FDR's full time in office is laid out in order, with statements he made regarding the Depression, recovery, his reluctance to enter into war, and his steadfast integrity after having his hand forced.  This is a destination Monument, not a speed walk though obstacle.  His words are SO important today!

Reminder, Republicans pushed to change the term limits of Presidents after they realized a true liberal Democrat, leading with true liberal Democratic principles and policies, would be near impossible to remove from office, because the public would love them too much.

I was tearing up by the time I walked out.  We need another FDR today, not some narcissistic, carnival barker, who can't even manage 140 characters without sounding like a fool.  Considering a modern version of FDR would NEVER come from the modern Republican party, who'll be the Democrat to step up to the challenge?  

Go visit D.C. yourself.  Patriotism is not the solitary realm of one political party, and it's not the sole entitlement of the puppet masters who need a fake image to hide their nefarious agenda behind.  Thanks to Lincoln, Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the sacrifice of the brave men and women who've defended this country, for reaffirming that, throughout the entire history of the United States of America.