Two years ago, Arlington National Cemetery, one of the nation’s oldest cemeteries, celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary of substantial historical and moral significance. Founded after the American Civil War, the cemetery has been home to many of our fallen heroes, particularly those who have died during conflicts with American involvement and people of considerable national significance, such as presidents. The cemetery is one of extensive size and holds many monuments to memorialize the fallen. Arlington National Cemetery, a symbol of American patriotism, is the location of final rest for those who died during or after their call to arms or have achieved great importance in our nation; the cemetery’s historical, moral, and national
One reason Washington deserves a new monument is because he was a pioneer that has withstood the test of time. Being the first isn’t always easy but Washington used his military background to be a real leader, having the role of the first president comes with great responsibility which Washington
The debate over how the Confederate and Columbus monuments should be treated starting from Confederate monuments in Southern cities like Charlottesville, VA has led to similar debates over Columbus monuments in northern cities like New York over what the statues have come to represent to people. In which to some it has come to represent racism, slavery, oppression, and destruction, but to others it is an honor towards their ancestors, culture, and race. Though in the end the Confederate monuments should just be left alone as there is no assurance that in the removal, destruction, or transfer of these monuments will stop or end the controversy involving the monuments in question towards both the supporting and opposing sides
I feel that congress should not make a national monument for those who move to the west in the 1850s and 1860s, which are known as pioneers. I feel that they shouldn’t do this because it is a historical site or geographical area that is set aside by a national government and is maintained for public use. A national monument may cause fights, because it is created from any land that is owned or controlled by the government. National monuments also need proper care and management for the objects in order for them to be protected. National monuments also require a fee before entering, which back in the 1850s and 1860s people didn’t really have any money, especially to be spent on a monument. The monuments require a fee in order to help pay for
In “Monuments to Our Better Nature,” Michael Byers gives us a tour through his description and layout of national mall in Washington DC. Byers reminisces about his time as a boy growing up with the National Mall of Washington DC at his fingertips. He grows up with these massive figures and monuments and feels a sense of pride and truth to everything that surrounds him. Byers explains each monument in detail ranging from the Lincoln Memorial to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Each statue and structure means something to him and he shares his opinion of each one. In his examination of these structural tributes, he begins to discover the meaning of what it is to be part of the American society. He sees
However, these monuments are history and although they may not be suitable for a public place nowadays, they are sure a great piece of history for a museum. These monuments are part of all that is left from a certain period in our history. Even though the Confederate period, for example, is not the period of the United States that many are proud of it still happened and it is still history. These monuments should be saved for the sake of knowing about the past, not for personal gain. Some monuments can stay in public for everyone to see. One must keep in mind that, monuments may never make everyone happy. As long as a monument was not made with the intention of attacking a group of people it deserves to be
For instance, Confederate monuments would allow generations to see that America isn’t “a place reserved for people who still want to spit our country, but rather a place for education that we can learn from the ugly protraction of our history” (Lanktree). Often, we talk about learning from the past so that the same mistakes won’t occur in the future. This specifically can be represented through these monuments; by having a symbol of the past where racism occurred, it serves as a reminder of what discrimination can do when one side is filled with bigotry. Having a place where one can learn about the effects of someone’s wrongdoings can allow today’s people to decide for themselves the future they want to create. Additionally, the author of the article Keep Confederate monuments, but put their horrific history on stage describes how Americans have been “willfully blind” about racial justice and that the statues could be used as reminders of the “catastrophic consequences” (Cose). The real reason why amends haven’t been made between the races, especially blacks and whites, may be due to the unjust treatment that blacks experience. In order for both sides to reconcile, the nation needs to openly admit the wrongs of participating in slavery and allow the past to stay in the past. The past shouldn’t be forgotten, but it should also be a way for individuals to learn and make
In our modern culture we memorialize a lot of things. Things like the achievements of great thinkers from the past such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the founding fathers. Other things that we memorialize are the wars that we have fought in the past, honoring those that fought in them. All of the previously mentioned things are put on a wall, given their own special place, or they have a statue made of them. These things are great and they show that those people did a great thing in their life but let’s be honest, we need to cut it back a little bit.
It has been said that this great nation has always been paved with streets of gold, that opportunity is around every corner, and with effort anyone has the chance to make a name for themselves. America was the place that both citizens and immigrants could aspire to be all that they dreamed to be with a little bit of determination and hard work. That was the American Dream. However, when the dreadful morning of September 11, 2001 came, the American Dream forever changed. Four planes were hijacked. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers, one plane crashed into the U.S. Pentagon, and yet another crashed into a Pennsylvania field. It was discovered that a radical Islamic terrorist
Along the way, I asked a group of frequent visitors why so little people know about this place. They responded by saying,” Well, I know people don’t (go) here because it’s difficult (to) access by car and it’s a bit off the ball (unsure) and its considered far I think for someone who is on a bike.” I also asked what they think Theodore Roosevelt would have thought about the monument. The two visitors responded by saying, “I think everybody would want a beautiful (statue), he was wild, sort of outdoor sort of “far from the matting crowd”. A perfect response to a perfect memorial that hardly anybody has ever
I feel like this monument should never be ever thought about tearing down. It’s the most honorable monument in the USA. From what i heard from www.nytimes said that it’s one of the most emotional moments ever in the USA. I don’t see why people wouldn’t want such great monuments like the vietnam war memorial war up. It’s one of the best things that we achieved in america 's pastime and a great accomplishment. Every name
From the other side, this statue and other statues are memories to some. If people truly want to keep the statues, the government should move the statues to a specific museum, so people that want to see the statues can. If people don’t want the see them the people don’t have to. Many people also think that it proves many things about the war and the people and that it is worth it to maintain. Would you want your taxes and money to be misspent on this statue?
How can Modernism, which is hailed because of its minimalism, rationalism, and functionalism, produce anything that can remotely be considered a monument? This is a question scholars and architects pondered during the 1940s. Moreover, monuments were not actually required until the post-war era. With the war came totalitarian regimes well acquainted with monumental architecture and unprecedented global causalities, which resulted in a push for memorial projects. One architect that becomes interested in this faltering was Louis Kahn. In his aptly titled essay “Monumentality,” Kahn tackles this question of monumentality. Firstly, he believes “monumentality is enigmatic” and “it cannot be intentionally created.” However, he does believe that all
Before I watched the movie, I actually answered that art cannot have equal or greater importance than a human life. My initial reasoning was that one human life has the potential to do much more than what one piece of art can. However, after watching Monuments Men, it made me seriously reconsider my own reasoning on the subject. To those men, the pieces of art meant more than just a monetary value or some symbolic piece of art, the art was an integral part of human history. Europe was one of the oldest and most developed places on Earth, and the art that was being talked about were crucial to our understanding of previous times, like the Ghent Altarpiece. Another thing that changed my mind was how willing some of these men were to sacrifice their lives for the artwork, like the disgraced British man sacrificing himself to try and save the Madonna. Afterward, Stokes is asked by President Truman if he thought the Madonna was worth his life, and he resolutely said that it was worth it, making a clear case for this line of reasoning. If one person is willing to risk their life for a piece of art, than obviously it is worth the value of their own life in that person’s eyes, like the First Lady saving original portraits of past Presidents from burning during the War of 1812. The examples listed paint a very clear picture that if a piece of artwork is worth risking a life over, than it can be worth a human