Washington, D.C.--home to national powers, political influence, and most notably, the country’s greatest historical landmarks. Every day tourists travel from areas all across the Maryland-Virginia territory and other parts of the East Coast to witness the beauty and patriotism of the nation’s oldest towns, museums, and prominent monuments. As for college students and local inhabitants of the D.C. area, it doesn’t take long to realize that the National Mall isn’t really the nation’s biggest shopping center, as alluded by the name. Instead, it is the most known tourist attraction in the Metro area. Full of exquisite attraction and immeasurable history, the National Mall and Museums holds over 100 acres of America’s prolific past times to date.
However, the fascination doesn’t end when the sun sets. One of the most alluring and prosperous memorials that still manages to hold attention during the summer nights as much as it does during the day is the Lincoln Memorial. There, in the midst of the darken sky shines a 19-foot sitting statue of America’s 16th president, with the words “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever” embedded above him. Locals and first-time visitors alike stand in awe before the beautifully carved sculpture reaching for their cameras, phones, or anyone available to take a picture of them. Inscribed around Lincoln are words from his second inaugural address encouraging states to end the war and reunite, while the entrance near the leading steps of the statue serves as home to more of Lincoln’s words on emancipation, freedom, and unity. Although there are arguments suggesting Lincoln’s beliefs on enslavement, the Lincoln memorial tries its best to articulate Lincoln’s belief in restoring the union through the depiction of speeches documented.
I had always seen images of the sight driving by and read articles about it being of the top intimate date spots in D.C. for history junkies, like myself, so I had to check it out in person. Although, I'll admit, I have never deemed Lincoln as the number one president, I urged myself to cease from bias and credit beauty when it's due. I believe Lincoln's memorial and the whole National Mall serves as a fine representation of former President Roosevelt's conservation plans. The irony and almost humor, however, lays in the correlation of how a beautiful nation built upon freedom and justice will continue to value the aged-stone of a president who couldn't have cared anymore about the state of enslaved African Americans than previous presidents. It is even argued by professional educators and scholars that Lincoln urged to colonize enslaved persons abroad post-slavery. In fact, during a series of debates for U.S. senate, Lincoln made it very clear that although he believed "All men were created equal" he did not stand in support, nor advocate for equal rights between blacks and whites. For all those refuting, if this weren't so, wouldn't he be known more as the first abolitionist President? However, with much urgency, I decided to stand back and observe the masterpiece for what it was: skill and honor. In the midst of Washington D.C. there sat a widely prestigious known work of art.
Luckily, the environment surrounding the memorial is also enough to have one gazed with nature. Aside from Lincoln's inquisitional memorial lays the largest reflecting pool in Washington, which attracts many of the 24 million visitors each year. Near the reflecting pool is a walking path sheltered by trees and occupied by bike riders and walkers alike. In this remarkable place, there rests the location of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. At the other end of the path, opposite the Lincoln Memorial sits the World War II (WWII) memorial filled with perhaps more beauty and effervesce than what's placed across it. After all, there could be no coincidence that there is a correlation between the two deals with a myriad of deaths. Could it?
