The Divine Mrs. M and I spent 6 days in our nation's capital and it renewed our faith in America and its place in the world. Yes, we toured some of the monuments and were duly impressed by the Lincoln Memorial and especially the Viet Nam veterans' monument. But it was the museums we toured which made the biggest impact.
The museum commemorating the American Indian experience was a moving tribute to the original citizens of our country. The whole purpose was a celebration of indian culture and its contribution to America. The creators of the exhibits could easily have devolved into a protest against the brutality of white America and the genocide perpetrated on native tribes. Dog knows they had every right.
The African American Museum was less sparing of our feelings and had perhaps the greatest impact of any we experienced in D.C. Starting 3 levels beneath the street we were informed of the cultures of Africa and the brutality of the enslavement millions experienced. I guarantee many feelings would be hurt and eyes opened by the various exhibits. It would take days to due this one museum justice.
Despite the dark history of genocide and slavery there is much to celebrate in the history of our country. We came away from our trip with a greater understanding of the opposing forces which have shaped the USA. We are far from perfect, but nowhere else on the planet is there a brighter light shining into the darkness.
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