Tourist season is in full bloom here in DC. Madison and I “guided” some out of town guests last night to see the Vietnam Wall, The Korean Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and we even walked right up to the White House gates.
We went through the Vietnam Wall behind a noisy group of teenagers. They were probably here on some kind of class trip (please say it wasn’t a church youth group trip) and mistook the walk for the main event. Not one of the teens ever looked at the wall. I am not kidding. A few of the teens were talking on cell phones the rest were talking to each other. They walked straight ahead, right through the memorial and not once did anyone look to the left to actually see the wall. I‚Äôve worked with teens. I am not down on teens. They might have had a long day. Who knows what was going on. It was just so blatantly obvious they would rather be doing something else.
Madison and I sat on the top step of the Lincoln Memorial while our guests were inside viewing the statue and the engraved words of Lincoln. Let me tell you, sitting on that top step looking at the city at night with the Washington Monument shining in the reflecting pool is quite a sight. After a while Madison asked me what was going on with those teens in that group back at the wall. She wanted to know why you would come all this way to see these things and be so disrespectful. She wanted to know if those kids realized that wall represented people who died for our freedoms.
I’m glad she was aware of what was happening. Even negative behavior can teach a positive lesson. Even more so, I’m glad she’s learning to be grateful.
6 Responses to “Oh Yeah, We Saw That”
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August 3rd, 2005 at 12:19 pm
Madison is in another strata of humanity … I’m so proud of her for noticing their disrespect and being disturbed by it. My brother knew many of the people whose names are on that wall.
August 3rd, 2005 at 12:32 pm
I have several past friends who’s names are on the wall and My wife has a close friend who was the 3rd person killed in Nam, listed on the wall. I see the same thing you saw with those teens, in the Church. If someone doesn’t tell the story often they will not know and remember the Love that was given freely.
August 3rd, 2005 at 12:35 pm
Thank God for young people who do have respect!
I have worked for the Federal government for almost 30 years, and I’ve never been to D.C. But if I ever come, the Viet Nam wall is one of the things I want to see. A classmate’s name is inscribed there.
P.S. - I saw your comment to me on Greg’s blog for yesterday regarding your kinship to Waylon Jennings! I responded there, but just in case you don’t see it, I’ll repeat here. My family tentatively claims Porter Waggoner. He is from West Plains, MO and that is where my mother was born and raised (?) until she married my dad at age 16. Her brother and Porter looked a great deal alike……..but it’s never been confirmed. Additionally, and thankfully also not confirmed, my dad’s family claimed kinship to Jesse James………..to the extent that one of his brothers was named after him! Jesse James Poyner!
August 3rd, 2005 at 2:05 pm
Let’s all rush to judge.
Buses for tour groups drop off and pick up their passengers on Constitution. When tours first get off the buses, The Wall is the first memorial the visitors see; then the Lincoln, Pool and Korean memorials. When it’s time to go, visitors are usually on a schedule and need to get directly back to Constitution and board the buses.
August 4th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
While cd2lab may have a point,one should never walk past the Wall in a noisy manner. What a wonderful opportunity your children have growing up in the middle of so much of our nation’s history.
August 11th, 2005 at 9:37 pm
The Nigerian national anthem has an apt line; “Help our youth the truth to know” and also “the labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain”.