Washington DC.....The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

While driving to the beach for Spring Break a few months ago, I was eaves dropping on a conversation my two teenage sons were having in the backseat.  They were discussing how it would be cool to go to the Smithsonian and see all the spaceships and rockets that were there.  When I butted into their conversation they also had lots of questions about the space shuttle Challenger and what it was like to see it explode on TV.  I realized that it was time for the family to take a trip to Washington DC.  My poor husband.  By the time I returned from Spring Break I already had it planned in my mind.  All I had to do was convince him that it was time.

We left very early on Saturday morning and much to my delight there were 32 Korean and WWII Veterans on our flight.  I got a little choked up when the entire plane applauded them.  Little did I know that when we got to the Baltimore Airport they would be welcomed with Firetruck fountains and people stopping to clap all the way through the airport.  I knew then, that it was going to be a great trip.

I learned very quickly that a "short walk" might mean several blocks, if not several miles.  A "short walk" at our house is very literally a "short walk."  We did a whole lot of walking in Washington DC, which was a good justification for the delicious food we would reward ourselves with at the end of each day.   I read Bill O'Reilly's "Killing Lincoln" not long ago so I was really into seeing Ford's Theater, Mary Sarratt's Boarding House, and the Peterson House. All of it seemed so real having read the book.  It was kindof a "downer" that Mary Sarratt's Boarding House is now a restaurant in Chinatown called "Wok and Roll Chinese Restaurant."  We did go eat there one night just so I could see it but it was difficult to imagine John Wilkes Booth conspiring to kill the President here  while I was eating Fried Rice and Chicken.  However, the whole Abraham Lincoln experience was my favorite part.  The Gettysburg Address and parts of his Inaugural Speech are engraved on the Lincoln Memorial walls and it is very very sobering to realize all the emotional decisions this man made for our country.  He truly realized that the ideas of slavery and freedom could never co-exist.  It would never work.  The Union was destined to be split.  After seeing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and The Bill of Rights in the National Archives, you have to realize that President Lincoln was right to be committed to the ideals of what our country was founded on.  I loved watching my boys as they witnessed the "Changing of the Guards" at Arlington National Cemetary.  The numbers of white headstones as you are walking up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is overwhelming.  We proceeded to the WWII and Vietnam Memorials after visiting Arlington.  When you take in the number of lives that were ended in all of the Wars it just makes you realize the sacrifice that men and women and families made for our freedom.

We also took a guided tour around all of Washington.  We saw all of the federal buildings and many many statues that were created to honor different heroes of our country.  We toured the Capital building, which I highly recommend, and finally experienced the Holocaust Museum.  I came away from our trip with many observations.  First and foremost, I believe that we live in the greatest country in the world.  Our founders literally formed a new kind of government that was unprecedented.  They created our Checks and Balances system that has kept our country together.  I am more convinced than ever that all three branches have to answer to the others.  I am also convinced that our country has laws that are in place for a reason.  There are plenty of power hungry, mobster mentality, dishonest people, on both sides of the aisle, who would love to plow their way through to get their way, totally disregarding the laws and the process of answering to each branch.  This is not what our country represents.  

There were are few more things that I noticed while in our nation's capital.  The American Family Unit was very much alive.  I saw families of all races and nationalities enjoying time together.  Children were laughing, learning, and thriving.  I also saw different groups who were making money by entertaining on the street corners.  Everything from trashcan beats to doing flips over people's heads.  They were "working."  They were "earning."  And people, including myself, were paying.  The creative entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well.  The whole time I'm thinking "I love democracy.  I love freedom. I love America."  Little did I know that there was trouble brewing.  We came back to our hotel room to learn of the IRS flagging various conservative groups applying for tax free status.  The next day the story broke about the Department of Justice wiretapping phones and emails.  I chose to ignore it while I was there, although while driving by these two federal buildings it did cross my mind that somewhere down the road my name might be "flagged."  Not for contributing to conservative political groups but for contributing to "Brentwood Baptist Church"  or "Fellowship of Christian Athletes" or "Camp Wonderfully Made."  Scary isn't it?  I also watched as a young, pregnant, Muslim girl knelt to say afternoon prayers on our National Mall.  She was free to do that and nobody bothered her, other than me, who did snap a picture.  But, again, it crossed my mind how Christian prayer has been alienated in various settings.  It also made me wonder if any Muslim political organizations had been targeted by the IRS.  I wonder if any students at Dartmouth who are receiving educational grants and buying parts for bombs have been flagged?   My guess is "no."

I love America and I still think it's a great country, but I also think that things have changed a great deal since those WWII and Korean Veterans on our plane fought for our freedoms.  There has always been evil in the world, which is easy to see when you experience the Holocaust Museum.  But there has also always been those who are brave enough to speak up for what is right.  Not just what is politically correct but what is really RIGHT.  I believe Abraham Lincoln was one of those men and he was murdered for it.  I am ready for someone to "step up" in Washington and lead.  At this point I could care less what color or political party they are.  I want honesty, integrity, true love for our country, and someone with the guts to lead both sides.  Oh, and the "blame game" has to go.  I'm going to be watching the Congressional hearings extra close for the next few days/weeks because I think that our country deserves answers and I think that all of the men and women who have given their lives for the ideals of our country would want citizens to hold people accountable.