D.C. doesn’t quite beat you over the head with patriotism, but it certainly beats you over the head with history, and that has a similar result. Being beat over the head may seem a little aggressive, but I firmly believe that in order to find solace in a summer of so much divisiveness and tragedy, we should all look backward to history in lieu of seeking our answers in an uncertain present.
I receive CNN news updates on my phone, and since the Pulse shooting on June 12th, it has seemed as if every update has involved senseless murder, to the point that whenever I see the notification icon I’m afraid to even look at what atrocities have been sent to my screen. From Pulse, to police brutality, to police ambush, to domestic and international terrorism alike, people have responded with fear, anger, and confusion, and rightfully so. Perhaps less rightfully so, people have retaliated, become polarized, and lost faith in our nation.
I can’t speak in absolutes, but for the most part, everyone would agree that these tragedies are in fact tragedies, and that the loss of innocent life needs to stop. Yet, one can’t help but feel as if the next tragedy is one phone notification away, and very little has been done to deter it. When we turn to people with the power to do something to deter it, our leaders, we hear endless rhetoric but see negligible action, and are left with a feeling of mistrust, abandonment, or hopelessness. Especially right now, our leaders are fighting to determine who our next President is, and those candidates are fighting to ensure it’s him or herself, and we are torn more and more apart as each candidate insists that he or she can put us back together again.
I went for a run and passed the Washington monument shortly after the Pulse shooting. I found it particularly poignant that there were 50 flags flying at half-mast around the monument, and that 50 people had died in the shooting. I gave this some thought, but no more than the few minutes before I once again began to think about how much time I had left and how much my legs hurt and how humid the weather was - nevertheless it made an impression. On a more recent run by the Washington monument, I noticed the flags are STILL at half mast, and I cannot seem to remember the last time I didn’t see them that way.
I found myself particularly disheartened, because it just isn’t right for the flags to not fly at the top of their poles. Gazing at the star spangled banner in the National Museum of American History, the flag that flew above Fort McHenry upon which Francis Scott Key gazed as he penned the “Star Spangled Banner,” I couldn’t help but think of the flag as a sign of resilience and victory. Listening to the “Star Spangled Banner” ring out at Nationals Stadium before their game, just like I listen before my races, I couldn’t help but think of the flag as a sign of competitiveness and pride. When I see the flags flying at half-mast, these traits seem weakened, just the same as when I hear Americans say they hate America or that they aren’t proud to be American as a result of all the domestic strife.
It should be the opposite! We should cling to our American-ness now more so than ever, because the steps America and Americans have taken to stay alive and progress all these years are ones we can either mimic or be wary of, but they are ones we must be aware of. On the Fourth of July, people flock to watch fireworks and don obscene amounts of red, white, and blue, and we’re celebrating the pursuit of values that were written into our Declaration of Independence such as justice, bravery, determination, equality, and freedom. We venerate this pursuit of happiness in the past but neglect to attribute it to the present. From 1776 to now, we’ve seen great change, and from now on we’re in the midst of great change. Just because we haven’t attained perfection doesn’t mean that we aren’t still striving.
On a different run, I circled the tidal basin, and found myself weaving through the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Both of these memorials are emblazoned with quotes by their respective honorees, and reading these quotes was the first time I began to feel better about the state of affairs we as a nation find ourselves in. If you are in a position to be in D.C. and circle the tidal basin yourself, I recommend it, but for those of you who cannot, please thoughtfully take the virtual tour through the photographs below. I’d state each quote and provide commentary, but that would detract from the way these words struck my heart, and I’d hate to deny you that same experience. The first two are from FDR and the rest are from MLK.
I think that seeing our current events through the words of our past leaders is a way to depoliticize the commentary coursing through the veins of society. While current presidents and leaders are people we are forced to either side with or oppose, in anticipation of what actions they may take in the future, the words of people from the past are non-threatening and intend nothing more than to provide insight.
I think that quotes are powerful because their selection as significant from the millions of phrases uttered each and every day can undercut our tendency to ignore or question what people have to say. Furthermore, these quotes are the perfect blend of optimism and realism in a way that nothing current is. The resounding optimism from their time reminds us that we’ve been in this boat before, and that we can paddle our way out. Yet, the fact that we’re in the same boat again reminds us that we need to step up and enact lasting change.
The words of these two Americans should inspire us to be better Americans today. Then and only then will our flags consistently fly as high as they rightfully should.
