Post #5 - MONUMENTS

An overview of  Several Monuments

The Martin Luther King Memorial

"The Stone Of Hope"

      

This extraordinary monument was built to exemplify the many fundamental values of Martin Luther King Jr. as he was one of the first and most admirable civil rights activists. Built in 2011 and simply inspired by the efforts in which he stood for, this memorial was dedicated to him. What really impacted me were the quotations in which they added on the walls, he was truly a man who made a difference. Also, the quote carved in stone was quite moving;

"Out Of The Mountains Of Despair, A Stone Of Hope"    

The Lincoln Memorial

Post #4 - THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court system where disputes get settled and laws are explained; there are absolutely no appeals from the decisions made their decisions. This court system has been created under our constitutional rights and has the last say on the Judicial Review.

Q) How does the Supreme Court work?

A) There are three steps in which the Supreme Court follows in completion of doing the job right. The first being the obtainment each year of thousands of different petitions from lower courts in efforts of reviewing appeals in specific cases. Next, the nine Justices take an initial vote on what to do with the cases they reviewed, to give the task of writing the majority opinion. Lastly, cases can be accepted or even denied by the Supreme Court. Bellow, I listed the most common ways the decision may be based on;

• Stare decision: Old cases can not overturn, unless it is absolutely necessary. 

• By Procedure: This procedural decision is usually made while standing after giving the pledge of being completely honest. This is usually the first choice in making a decision. 

• On the Merits: The decision is made for a case strictly on interpretation of the Constitution, federal and state laws.

Building Tour

Middle West-Great Hall

Being designed by the well known architect Cass Gilbert, it was a goal for the hall to be redone in hopes of overcoming its previous artistry.

The Supreme Court Room

This Courtroom Entry is the only room that was imported marble when it was under construction.  What I found to be pretty neat is that each engraving in the courtroom represents an array of aspects of the law. This room is where many important decisions are made and (my personal favorite aspect) the large variety of art.

The Supreme Court Law Library

This library has is open and available to serve the general public. With a collection of nearly a half-million volumes, the Law Library is known as the most dynamic State Court law libraries in the nation. Also, there is a reading bar, a "Special Library" for rare book collections, and a Private Library for the Justices. 

Post #3 - THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

"Come Explore And Enjoy Your National Archives Today-- Democracy Starts Now!"

The Declaration Of Independence

Aside from being old & slightly faded, this document holds a great importance-it states the thirteen colonies demand on freedom from Great Britain. 

Without this document, the United States would not be able to accomplish freedom by being its own independent country; this document represents freedom. 

The original copy of the Declaration of Independence can be found on display at The National Archives building in Washington DC.

Post #2 - HOME OF THE PRESIDENT

The White House

The White House location was chosen by our first president, George Washington, in 1791. Since then, the remarkably beautiful building has undertaken multiple constructional and designing changes made by the previous presidents.   

Cabinet Room

                                     

 I believe this specific room holds great importance, for it has stood the same room in the ginormous white house for many decisions to be made. Each cabinet member is assigned a place at the table according to the date their department was established; the oldest departments are seated closest to the President.

There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the residence. Also, there are 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. The white house is HUGE! 

Q)Why do you think our founding fathers felt it was critical to build an impressive home for our presidents?

A) I believe it was decided among them that the President of the United States of America is the most important person, due to the many responsibilities this position holds.

Q) Notice the artifacts and architecture, decide what is the most inspirational/interesting to you and why?

A) I think the Presidents Office is the most interesting, it has a classy look to me and I like it. Also, it seems like the 'go to' room for the President to get stuff done in his own space, this room has a lot of history which i find very interesting.

A Letter To The President

P.O. Box 3057

San Jose CA, 95148

December 10, 2013

Miss Zoe Lofgren

Congress Woman

635 N First Street, Suite B

San Jose, CA 95112

Dear Miss Lofgren, 

I am a devoted student attending Evergreen Valley High School. I wold be delighted to take this opportunity to ask your permission to allow my fellow zealous classmates to visit the beautiful Washington DC. We are being assigned a blog to write about the history in Washington and I believe a field trip over there will help each and everyone of us to write a blog regarding the historical state. Also, Washington has been a strong topic in our class as we have multiple discussions on monuments, the white house, and even a few of the representatives in which work for the President. It would truly be the most fascinating learning experience if we were given the great opportunity of visiting.    

To deny my class such an opportunity would deny us all a hands on educational connection. The denial would be a shame and deeply hurtful to our education as citizens of the United States. I can only hope you will privilege us to such a rare opportunity, for an adventure like this is a one in a lifetime chance to visit with my classmates.

Thank you for your time and consideration, I hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully yours,

Angela Valdez

Post #1 - LANDMARKS

The Jefferson Memorial

Being completed in 1943, the Jefferson Memorial was built for the third president of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson;as well as being built in honor of the declaration of independence. This landmark will forever be a great influence to the USA, not only does it have important historic passages for all to read, but it also serves as a great reminder for what we the people stand for.

The Jefferson Memorial is located right off the Potomac River and is incredibly accessible being open to the public 24 hours a day.  

My personal favorite regarding the historical landmark was the Southwest Panel; in which ultimately gives tribute to the spirit of America. Within this location you can find multiple quotes, depicting letters,lines from the declaration of independence, famous sayings and many beliefs of Thomas Jefferson. One quote I found quite inspirational was, "Preach, my dear sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish & improve the law for educating the common people."

The pictures above are parts of the Declaration of Independence for all visitors to read, a quality in which I found to be quiet remarkably informative as well as deeply cultural. 

The Vietnam War Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial is a landmark in which pays respects to the thousands of men who have lost their lives due to the brutal battle in hopes of establishing the American dream- Freedom for all. In result to the many tears that have been shed countless times when visiting this admirable landmark, it has been settled as one of the most heartfelt locations with deep meaning and a ruff history. The Memorial lists 58,272 names, with about 1200 listed as missing. What I found to be quite important about the memorial were the diamonds and crosses in which confirmed the death or missing/unknown whereabouts of an individual. Another symbol would be a circle around a cross which is indicated as a symbol of life; as of today, no circle appears on the wall.

This monument is important because it serves as a piece of honor and thanks to members of the U.S armed forces who gave there lives in the crucial Vietnam War (1954-1975). It was this exact sacrifice that we should never forget and forever be grateful.

In addition to the abounding number of soldiers on the wall, there is an alluring bronze sculpture depicting two women carrying an injured man, the sculpture serves as a representation to the 10,000 women who helped and served in Vietnam.

Arlington National Cemetery

The Arlington National Cemetery was established May 18, 1864. With over 624 acres of land, it is all reserved for veterans and military casualties who served in the American Civil War, Afghanistan, and Iraqi War. It is only proper to be grateful by categorizing every soldier to be buried next to their fighting brothers and sisters who also gave their lives in hopes of a better tomorrow. The Shrine serves a purpose with the vision of a "living history of freedom"; where bravery, dignity, and honor rest in solemn peace.

This beautiful landscape serves as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of every individual laid to rest within the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

 This cemetery had a great  impact on me that was deeply respectful. By visiting such a beautiful monument, it helped me reflect on how grateful one should be to live in such an enticing country;were lives are sacrificed and lost every day.

When you  first enter the sacred shrine of lost soldiers, this sign stood sturdy; in which I personally found to be quite respectable. A reminder in which recent generations have demoralized today.

"Please Conduct Yourselves With Dignity And Respect At All Times"

The Ford's Theater

The Ford's Theater, once referred as "Ford's Athena", was established in 1861 and was originally constructed in 1833. John T. Ford had bought the former church in which he turned into a local entertainment theater. 

You can find the theater at 51110th Street Washington DC, 20004.

Just one year later, in 1862, the theater burned down and was rebuilt within the following year. The picture above is the aftermath of the fire at Ford's Theater in which people sadly fell victim to as well.

The Ford's Theater is also the place in which President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. This impacted me in a strong way. It is truly sad how at one moment you can be going about life happily and have it all end within the push of a trigger.