Friday, July 26, 2013

The Majesty of the Lincoln Memorial

This morning I awoke to read and see that the Lincoln Memorial had been vandalized with green paint...shameful!  There are security cameras so I trust the perpetrator (s) will be caught

It has taken over 20 years for the Lincoln Memorial to ascend to "My Most Favorite Monument in DC' but it holds a special place in my heart!  It is most impressive at night, illuminated under the stars.



A visit to this remarkable place stirs up all sorts of emotions! Its sheer beauty still makes my heart skip a beat!  A marble facade reminiscent of a Greek temple is almost at odds with the simplicity of the 16th President himself.  Its location  at one end of the Mall allows Lincoln to gaze out at his predecessor (Washington), his followers (at the Capitol), the fallen (Vietnam Memorial) and the millions of visitors from near and far who gravitate to Washington DC and the Mall each year.



These marble steps (57) and patio have given voice to Martin Luther King and his 'I Have a Dream' speech during the March on Washington 50 years ago this August; Marion Anderson and her ground-breaking Easter concert in 1939; The We are One concert in 2009 and the Reunion on the Mall concert in 1993.  But just as important are the millions of visitors to this remarkable monument that remind us of the leadership Lincoln provided during such turbulent times.

We are One concert

Visitors can walk up the steps and see engravings of two of his most cherished speeches.  the Gettysburg Address -- raise your hand if you had to memorize part of this in school -- gives me shivers as its message still rings true today.  His second Inaugural Address is marked by its brevity and balance -- 'with malice toward none, with charity to all'.

It is a beautiful place to visit and a stark reminder of our past and those that have given their lives.  Walk around to the back of the monument and you can't help but breathe deeply as you gaze across the Potomac river to Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington House on the hill -- such hallowed ground.