Why do most of Washington DCs monuments celebrate war?
Washington, DC, is one of the most popular tourist destinations not only within the United States but internationally as well. Millions of people from across the globe come to our nations capital expecting to experience its rich history, remarkable educational treasures, breathtaking artwork, gleaming architecture, and, of course, its varied and enticing culinary delights. Upon leaving the capital area and returning home, many visitors are somehow forever transformed.From my first visit to Washington, DC, as a high school student in 1964 to taking up residency in The District from 1971 until 1973, to my infrequent return trips ever since, I am continually amazed by the emotional and, yes, transformational impact this relatively small parcel of land has upon my spirit. Related The Supreme Courts anti-trans ruling was dirty politics. Heres why we shouldnt lose hope. What happened after the courts infamous anti-gay ruling of 1986 could happen again now, but with trans people at the forefront. Each time I return, though, there remains within me a feeling of unease, tension, and inner conflict, where my thirst remains unquenched and my hunger unsatisfied. I view the Washington, DC, experience as representing an important and inspiring, yet limited vision of our complete national history and collective consciousness. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today First, while our monuments, statues, and memorials honor our countrys luminous heroes, extraordinarily few pay tribute to our nations women and people of color.Second, the monuments and memorials though certainly moving, appropriate, and important in that they keep us forever connected to our past while helping us progress into the future primarily give testament to our nations wars and honor primarily presidents who either served during wartime or achieved prominence in war.Therefore, our nations capital speaks only part of our collective story. The fulcrum on which the foundation of this narrative rests represents an important though incomplete story, primarily about white male leaders with armed conflict as the organizing principle. Take, for example, our most notable and visible monuments and memorials situated on the National Mall. Standing tall and visible for miles around in every direction, the Washington Monument honors our first president, one of our founding fathers, who organized and led what began as a rag-tag, disorganized, and undisciplined array of resistors into an effective fighting force.The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, reflected in the Tidal Basin, pays tribute to the author of the Declaration of Independence, which signaled the colonies severing ties with Great Britain and sparked the War of Independence.The Abraham Lincoln Memorial memorializes the man who served over a divided land, and who eventually kept the nation intact during trying times. And the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, one of the most expansive in sheer acreage, gives homage to our longest-serving chief executive who presided during a time of great peril as ruthless tyranny threatened both domestic and world democracy.In addition, our new and eagerly awaited World War II Memorial, situated directly between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, stands in tribute to the greatest generation of patriots who defeated the forces of tyranny and oppression continents away.The Korean War Memorial, located in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial, keeps fresh the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Cold War. And the Vietnam Memorial, also in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial, its black marble reflecting the faces of young and old as they come to witness the thousands of names inscribed on its surface, helps to heal some of the many wounds of a divided nation torn apart by war far from home. Also located in Washington, DC, we find the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Armenian Genocide Museum of America.As truly important and inspiring as the memorials and monuments are, few larger-scale tributes to peace and peacemakers can be found in Washington, DC, though space is given within the museums to the abolitionists, rescuers, resisters, diplomats, and other courageous individuals and groups.A small and relatively unknown statue stands at the east front portico of the US Capitol, called The Peace Monument. Its a marble sculpture constructed between 1877 and 1878 and includes three women: Grief, History, and Victory. The inscription reads, In memory of the officers, seamen and marines of the United States Navy who fell in defense of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861-1865. An important and impressive new monument was dedicated to civil rights leader and peacemaker, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first larger-scale monument in Washington, DC, devoted to an inspirational leader of nonviolent resistance and peace.Where, however, are the other tributes, monuments, and memorials to peace and to the peacemakers not only in Washington, DC, but throughout the nation?Where are our memorials and monuments to the diplomats and the mediators; to those working in conflict resolution; to the activists dedicated to preventing wars and to bringing existing wars to diplomatic resolution once they have begun; to the individuals of conscience who refuse to give over their minds, their souls, and their bodies to armed conflict? Where are the memorials and monuments to the practitioners of non-violent resistance in the face of tyranny and oppression; to the anti-war activists who strive to educate their peers, their citizenry, and, yes, their government about the perils of unjustified and unjust armed conflict and incursions into lands not their own in advance of appropriate attempts at diplomatic means of resolving conflict?Individuals and groups who stand up and put their lives on the line to defend the country from very real threats to our national security, like those in our nations military, are true patriots. But true patriots are also those who speak out, stand up, and challenge our governmental leaders, those who put their lives on the line by actively advocating for justice, freedom, and liberty through peaceful means.And where are the memorials and monuments to the nations artists, musicians, poets and writers, philosophers, and intellectuals? I am continually amazed as I walk through the capitals of several other nations to encounter these testimonials to the human creative spirit. Looking over the history of humanity, it is apparent that tyranny, at times, could only be countered through the raising of arms. On numerous occasions, however, diplomacy has been successful; at other times, it should have been used more extensively before rushing to war.We must all, therefore, find it unacceptable when ones patriotism and ones love of country is called into question when advocating for peaceful means of conflict resolution, for it is also an act of patriotism to work to keep our brave and courageous troops out of harms way and to work to create conditions and understanding that ultimately make war less likely.Make way for the peacemakers Congress needs to pass a bipartisan resolution to increase the number of statues and memorials to honor this countrys female heroes and heroes of color.In addition, Congress must set aside a parcel of prime land on the National Mall for the installation of a highly visible and permanent United States Monument to Peace and Peacemakers. Residents as well as business and corporate leaders throughout the country can then donate financial, moral, and tactical support to coordinate the design and development and to cover the costs.Also, local communities should develop residents councils to work toward the establishment of monuments to peace and peacemakers throughout the United States to honor individuals and groups that work through peaceful channels. The national, regional, and local monuments to peace and peacemakers could connect to institutions of research and learning, which will serve as archives, libraries, and teaching centers for us, our children, and the generations yet to come.Very encouraging was the building of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, which opened to the public on April 26, 2018. As explained by the Equal Justice Initiative, it represents our nations first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.We are once again a divided nation politically, philosophically, economically, and spiritually. The theme of values has been dominant in public and political discourse. Wars rage in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, the United States, and elsewhere. Monuments exist as much more than stone and steel structures. They symbolize the values a nation holds dear. The promotion of peace should be ranked as one of the highest values deserving our immediate and sustained attention.While there may be good reasons for holding military parades, the president threw himself one in Washington, DC, that happened to fall on his 79thbirthday, costing the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.The same day, over five million people in over 2000 locations throughout the United States marched, chanted, and resisted while carrying posters and placards calling for the violence against people in our country to stop, the wars to end, international and domestic humanitarian aid to be restored, the political power of the oligarch class to cease, and for the attacks on our democratic institutions to stop. A show of military force is often displayed by tyrants, usually insecure male leaders who see mercy, compassion, and apologies as signs of weakness and loss of virility. But how many more military personnel and civilians must we sacrifice to uplift the fragile egos of the insecure? When will diplomacy rank as the first option in conflict?The creation of monuments to peace and peacemakers can help us heal the divisions, bridge the gaps in our national consciousness, and bring us together. It is time to let the healing begin.Click here to learn more about the US Peace Memorial Foundation, an organization dedicated to the establishment of a large-scale and visible tribute to peace in Washington, DC.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
