Last month we took a trip back to Washington, DC and Charleston, SC – two places technically in the southeast but, aside from grits and soft-shelled (blue) crabs, they’ve little in common. One is a sprawling metropolis and the other a snapshot of the genteel south circa 1780. Needless to say, I have enough doors to be able to participate in Norm Frampton’s #ThursdayDoor event for a long time.
I’m going to start with these doors from the FDR Memorial to remind my American friends of the stakes at risk in our upcoming Elections.
Door representing the hopelessness of many people during the Great Depression
Door to the Soup Kitchen, the only way to survive for many people.
The Republicans and Libertarians have made consistent threats against programs like the ones President Franklin Delano Roosevelt put into place; programs that saved this country from the Great Depression and provided a safety net for millions of Americans, particularly the weakest and most vulnerable of us.
The FDR memorial sits across the Potomac from downtown DC and is just down the road from Arlington Cemetery (which is always on my must visit list.) The memorial is a maze-like series of granite walls representing each of FDR’s four terms in office. Into the walls are carved quotes from his most famous speeches.
The one above says: “We must scrupulously guard the civil rights of all citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”
FDR and Fala, the only presidential dog to have his own monument.
It’s shocking to contrast what a man in a wheelchair and in dubious health created in both words and deeds in twelve years while for eight years our Republican-held congress has accomplished nothing but repeatedly attack Obama care, fund baseless investigations against the Clintons, and encourage through word and deed citizens to turn against each other with hatred, intolerance and incivility. 
I think every American needs to keep in mind why social safety nets were put into place and why any politician seeking to destroy them should be defeated on November 8th. By next Thursday we’ll know. Are we going to go backwards or forwards – what’s your guess?
Apologies for the darkness of the pictures – we were there in the evening.
Saying nothing in particular 
Great photos, Jan!
No apologies needed – the photos are great!
Thank you V!
Wonderful, well-timed placement for this post. Soup kitchens ❤ We are going forward in love and kindness and generosity. Maybe the hateful won't join us, but we are going forward.
Thanks Joey – love your attitude!
Your doors and quotes here are great reminders, Jan — thank you for opening this door today.
Thanks Jet – people are so lost in personality politics that they’re forgetting the issues.
Beautiful and timely post Jan.
Once all the shouting stops and everyone takes a deep breath and calms down, hopefully they remember that we are all human and all deserve dignity and respect.
Things are far from perfect in my country either, but I have been truly saddened to see how divisive the political tone is and how so many people have become downright openly hostile towards each other because of their differences.
It’s going to take a true leader to turn things around and I’m not sure I see any of those at the moment. What I do see is a lot slick-talking individuals who get elected not to serve the people they represent, but to serve their party and their corporate sponsors. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the election results are decisive enough that the vote counting doesn’t become the circus that it did in 2000.
Not sure the country could go through another 2000! That would be horrible
Enjoyed the shots, Jan. With all the vitriol flying around, I remind myself that there are caring, loving people on both (or all) sides, although they have different visions of how to go about helping our country. Not always easy to remember that, but I’m trying.
janet
It is hard. Being out here in NorCal I don’t bump into a lot of people supporting the hard right so it’s hard for me to understand their thinking.
What an emotive place, Jan. You took some very moving photographs.
Thanks Jean – it’s a very moving memorial to one of our greatest presidents.
Most lovely. Not just because of the dog. 🙂 There is certain… humility in these sculptures and words. Always a good reminder.
Beautiful heartfelt piece of writing Jan. The situation facing voters in the US is so sad. I came across this interview and think it’s worth a good look. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2016-11-03/green-party-s-jill-stein-on-u-s-presidential-election
The first photo was the most powerful for me. I think a lot of people – most of them at the very top of the food chain – need the reminder that a measure of our humanity is how we treat the less fortunate.
A lovely trip, thank you for sharing . Fala is gorgeous and the first two shots are so powerful. Good luck for the election, we are all watching and hoping…
What a mindful post, Jan. Thanks for putting compassion for others into sharp focus. We are more than this current political climate. We are a country of doers that care for one another, not because we’re told to but because we’re called to.
Very powerful photographs.
Great photos, Jan. Reading this now, I feel like a cheater when it comes to your question. Before the election, I felt so certain we were moving forward, but now…well, it’s not going to be so easy. But somehow, progress will continue. Right?
Thank you for sharing these. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get around to reading this.