Jefferson Memorial

When we went down to the see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC back on March 23rd, we walked through the Jefferson Memorial as well. I like the classical shape of the portico and columns…the round dome…the marble.

In the center - there is the larger-than-life statue of Jefferson. His words are etched into the walls. I found myself marveling at how relevant they still are.  This memorial is not only about remembering the man; it is about renewing our understanding of the foundation for our country that is still vibrant and strong.

Around to the side of the memorial, there is an entrance to go under the memorial where there is a museum and gift shops. Jefferson’s words are etched in the walls here too.

The memorial is visible from most of the walk around the tidal basin. The last picture is from the other side of the tidal basin - just past the Martin Luther King Memorial - framed by cherry blossoms.

There always seem to be a lot of people around the Jefferson Memorial. It is a calm spot amid the bustle of city traffic. Somehow it seems to be above the fray and it helps everyone who comes here to be that way too for a few moments.

Quote of the Day - 03/29/2012

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. - Thomas Jefferson

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This quote is on the wall of the Jefferson Memorial. It reminds that us the founding fathers - and Jefferson in particular - realized that ‘with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times’ and they built a system that included a balance of power across three branches of government to allow that to happen. Over the course of US history, there have been a lot of changes and the system has sometimes worked better than others. One thing we know in our government as well as our personal lives: we can’t ever turn back the clock to an earlier time and start over. Decisions to change - or not change - can only impact the present and future.

Today - note news items that document our continuing struggle to achieve ‘laws and institutions…hand in hand with progress of the human mind.’