treading light on politics in washington dc

Is it?

Recently I spent a few days in Washington DC.  I thought it'd be interesting to visit a place so worldly renowned;  a place I've seen on screens with 'important people saying important things'.  Where the buildings are white, vast and crisp and the grandeur of a destination where the 'founding fathers' made their mark on history is still prevalent. Seeing it now at a time of hegemony brought up so many questions for me on our collective future and my somewhat 'dreamer inclination' wish for peace in the world.

I loved strolling around the mall, going in to a couple of free museums and just wondering around and enjoying the expansiveness of central Washington DC as winter sets in, the bare trees are still and the sun shines low alighting the monuments with a golden hue.

I wish I could say I was truly romanticised by DC, but to be honest, I didn't feel much soul there. In fact what I sensed was more a story of a perceived price of freedom to be proud of war and walking through the National History Museum of America it seemed really to focus on the battles between mankind and made me feel a little sad that such a powerful nation still rejoices in telling a story of conflict when beside that old story being over and unuseful, the new one isn't much prettier on the battlefield.  I don't really know when it comes to politics what is right and wrong, even though I studied it long ago, the only thing I really connected with besides feminism, was the idea of utilitarianism and the transcendentalist movement.  I do fall in to that 'give peace a chance' category sometimes. Its an awkward inner hippie one might say that I tend to keep to myself.  I feel finding peace truly starts with finding peace within oneself and freedom is a state of mind, perhaps even beyond mind, which I hope to see reflected in the world around us more and more.

Yesterday I spoke to a homeless War Veteran in the street. The conversation was quite intense and started by me innocently picking up his photos to look at and him taking them back, explaining there were pictures he didn't want me to see. "I'm a big girl" I said. "Its ok" and he explained that there were pictures with prostitutes he didn't want me to see. Fair enough, I thought.

I asked him "Do you think peace is possible?" his answer was no. He has issues he explained and I can't imagine what his soul has endured being a part of something so dark out there that has lead him to the streets. His brother is still out there he explained and asked that 'my country send more troops'.  I guess my idealism got a big punch in the gut.

The housemate of a friend in DC said he felt peace would only be possible with more war. Dear God, do we need more men living in the streets in a state of trauma and pain asking passers by to "spare some change for a war veteran?"

Its a pity to think that in order to get an education in the USA many people have to 'serve their country' i.e. go to war for a few years in order to pay for it and I suppose meeting Jackson in Vermont has inspired me that there is a way out for people who don't feel comfortable with war. I pray we can all find peace within ourselves and that the words of America's founding fathers can be truly listened to; not just heard.

"The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing." John Adams 

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." John Adams  

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Samuel Adams 

"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson  

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln

The real ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz

More photos of Washinton DC on the travel photoblog.