When I was in high school I took the Metro into DC to take pictures for the afternoon.
One of the things I remember seeing as I walked around was a memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This memorial is near the intersection of 9th Street & Pennsylvania Ave, NW. A small plaque near the memorial reads:
I really like the new FDR Memorial and visited it shortly after it opened in 1997. But I remember feeling a bit conflicted and was reminded of those feelings today as I walked down Pennsylvania Avenue and happened by the memorial again.
On the one hand there was this beautiful and subtle, yet majestic memorial honoring the 12 years this man gave in service to his country as President.
On the other hand, he spoke specifically and plainly of how he would like to be memorialized, if at all.
Do we honor the man in physical ways so everyone can see or do we honor the man by listening to his words and wishes? I realize this is a double-edged sword... it seems like in today's society if we do not spell things out, and create a physical manifestation of something... it is likely to be lost forever.
