Recommended: Purpose and function of monuments
Colonial Williamsburg is one of the oldest living museum in history. From the streets of Duke of Gloucester St. to S England Street this has many re-constructed buildings to be as accurate as possible. But among all the wondrous buildings there is one that stands out better than all the rest, “The Capitol Building”. It was the first representative government to vote for a constitution, the rules they made back then shaped what we know today, and also it shows how much government and laws have changed today. These are all reasons for why I think that this building unquestionably deserves the 2016 commemorative
In order for a place to be considered a national monument it must be historically significant in the United States of America. Once this is determined by the national government it will then be made available and kept up to par for any people who wish to visit it. The President Lincoln and Soldiers Home is considered a national monument because of its popularity amongst the Presidents, specifically President Abraham Lincoln, throughout the years and because it is one of the first places to be considered a home and provide services to veterans who have served for our country. Given its importance in the history of our country it is essential that one be informed of the reasons it became considered a national monument in the year 2000.
Colonial Williamsburg is a place to explore past events, traditions, and ways of living. Today it is the largest history museum in the world, and home to four very important structures, Bruton Parish Church, the Capitol, the Governor’s Palace, and the Magazine. They show importance during colonial times, relevance today, and connect to the motto, “That the future may learn from the past,” but the Magazine displays these three things best. Because the Magazine, a three-story, eight sided brick building, held the ammunition and explosives, is considered our symbol of freedom today, and connects to the motto, it deserves a 2016 commemorative
Secondly, we see value in the freedom of artistic expression which Congressman Clay believes is what the U.S. Capital symbolizes. (Warth) Relationships These two values have a Conflicting Relationship. The value of respect for law enforcement led Congressman Hunter to personally remove the art work from the wall. The painting was viewed by Hunter as “not helpful after a year when many police officers had been killed in the line of duty.”
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”.
But In “Architect 's Dilemma on Memorials”, an interview of Alison Hirsch, Alison thinks that a good monument is easily accessible and open to offerings. I think a good monument should reflect the importance of why it is there. The monument should use details about the person’s life being honored
In addition to the meaning of a memorial being an important factor, the location also has a big importance. While discussing the controversies brought with the news of the location of the Holocaust museum Christine Musser said, ”the Holocaust would be built in the United States, who did little to stop the Holocaust from occurring ” (Source E). All around Jewish and non-Jewish people were angered by the news. People thought it was offensive that a country who did so little to prevent the cruel events that happened during the Holocaust was going to be the one to memorialize it. The museum was meant to be a place of remembrance, but since it was going to be built on the national mall people saw it only as a symbol of disrespect to the Jewish community.
Kirk Savage suggests in Source A (Savage), “The public monument speaks to a deep need for attachment that can be met only in a real place, where
With a saunter around the National Mall, revere the neoclassical Lincoln Memorial, with a staggering (175 ton pound) statue of Abraham Lincoln swirled by his words of the Gettysburg Speech, the marvelous marble, granite and blue stone Washington Memorial, the Rome-esque memorial of Thomas Jefferson, and more… 2.) Arlington, VA’s cemetery Witness an official ceremony of Veteran’s Day at the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington, VA’s cemetery, where John F. Kennedy spoke eleven days before his assassination, and his body later returned to. Savor a moment reflecting on the tomb of the “Unknown Soldier” from World War I, and admire a sophisticated switching of the guard on the dot of every hour. 3.)
If you had a statue in your town, Why would you want a statue representing your town that isn’t a hero? The text states, “Instead of honoring the officers, it honored the killers. That kind of “honor” has no place in an American city.” What do you think? From the other side, this statue and other statues are memories to some.
In Atlanta Ga, Charlottesville Nc, and in every other formerly Confederate State in the U.S. there has been controversial debates on whether or not the current standing Confederate statues should be removed from public areas. Many people claim that a modern society should not honor the racist soldiers who fought for slavery. Others believe that preserving historical accuracy is essential to learning from the mistakes of the past. The opinions of thousands of citizens clash with one another over the debate between offense and information. I believe that it is most beneficial for the majority of people if the current Confederate monuments remain where they are.
In the news today, a continual debate can be found about the significance of Confederate monuments and if they should remain or be removed. Confederate monuments that have been erected throughout the U.S. should be kept because of the preservation of America’s history. For instance, in the article, The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal, the author lists how slaveholder monuments aren’t the only statues being vandalized, but the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are other symbols of U.S. history that some believe need to “blow up” (Murdock). Every historical symbol can have both people who appreciate it and who oppose it. That doesn’t mean that we should tear down all symbols, but
Gentrification is the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. Real Estate investors usually take low-income places that they feel have a chance to prosper economically, and turn them into areas that attract the middle and upper class workers. In doing so they feel like the low-income areas will be safer and more appealing, attracting more people to visit and live there. An improvement to a poor district sounds beautiful, but is gentrification as great as it’s sought out to be? Many residents have their doubts about gentrification due to the idea that the costs of their living will go up and they will be driven out of their neighborhoods.
For example, the statue
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.
