It was my first time in the United States of America. What I saw in movies and TV series was more than confirmed in real life: among American values, patriotism, respect for one’s own state, statehood, and state-creating figures instilled from kindergarten play the most important roles. In the capital, Washington, D.C., these values were even more evident.
A sign welcoming soldiers returning from service stands out at the Washington airport.
National Mall
Washington D.C., often called just D.C. to avoid confusion with the state of the same name, occupies an area of 177 square kilometers. The National Mall, or “America’s Front Yard” as Americans call it, spans over 50 hectares filled with pools, parks, sculptures, and memorials that honor the founding fathers of the United States, state-building, independence, and soldiers who died for the nation.
National Mall map
National mall map in Capitol
With 25-30 million visitors a year, this memorial complex stretches for 3 km. At one end is the Capitol, home to the U.S. Congress, and at the other end is the Lincoln Memorial. In the middle stands the Washington Memorial, which reminds an Egyptian obelisk. There are also memorials for Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and sections dedicated to victims of various wars. The most significant national events, gatherings, and celebrations occur in this memorial complex.
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In the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, his statue stands surrounded by his notable quotes inscribed on the walls. The same is true at the Lincoln Memorial. In the Franklin Roosevelt section, there are sculptures of both him and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. Martin Luther King’s memorial area and large monument are also here.
Washington memorial
2-nd WW memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Lincoln statue in memorial
Franklin Roosevelt memorial
Roosevelt statue
Eleanor Roosevelt statue
While walking through this memorial, you can see many groups of schoolchildren visiting with their teachers, learning about the history of their country.
The famous Smithsonian museums and institutes are also located in this area, each housing priceless cultural treasures. There are monuments and sculptures dedicated to the victims of the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
The museum of Afro-American culture and history
Capitol
The Capitol, where the U.S. Congress convenes, is not only a legislative building but also a museum summarizing the country’s history. It was impressive to see the pride with which tour guides shared their stories about the nation’s not-so-old history. They also acknowledged the darker chapters: the brutal treatment of American Indians, slavery, and the Vietnam War. In this museum section, there are two sculptures of significant historical figures from each U.S. state, including state and legal figures, priests, women activists, presidents, and other notable individuals.
“Declaration of Independence” In the Capitol
Arlington Military Cemetery:
Finally, Arlington Cemetery, located in Virginia, is just across the Potomac River from the capital. Covering nearly 260 hectares, this cemetery, established in 1864, holds more than 400,000 bodies of soldiers who died in various wars, including veterans of the Civil War, World War I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. Managed by the U.S. Army, the cemetery grounds are so vast that several buses operate within to transport visitors. In addition to war veterans and their families, Supreme Court judges, high-ranking congressmen, and presidents can also be laid to rest here. John Kennedy, his two senator brothers, his children, and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy are all buried here.
At Arlington Cemetery, schoolchildren frequently visit, accompanied by their teachers, to pay their respects to those who gave their lives for their country. This way, they learn the history of the nation and develop a deep respect for their country and those who fought for it.
Parallels with Armenian Reality:
Amidst all this, I often recalled the mockery from broad circles in Armenia, particularly from those who consider themselves “pro-Western,” towards “pathos,” “hurrah-patriotism,” the Armenian Apostolic Church, and any spiritual, intangible, non-purchasable, or non-exchangeable values. Their professed “values,” cynicism, and the cult of short-term interests have nothing to do with real Western values.
Today, on May 28, 2024, exactly 106 years after Armenia, which had been stateless for centuries, regained its statehood by creating the first Republic of Armenia, the house of the founding father of that republic, Aram Manukyan, is in a half-ruined and dilapidated state. See below for Marut Vanyan’s photos taken today.
In our country, all the previous presidents, prime ministers, and ministers are condemned and belittled. The leaders of the second Armenian state, Artsakh, are in the prison of a hostile country. At the level of the highest authority in the country, attacks are being made on the state emblem and the church. It is almost impossible to maintain statehood with these values…
Melania BARSEGHYAN
