Washington DC: Day 4
Today has been a bit dreary, as it rained the entire morning. When it rains, it pours. Literally in this case. We started off at the Smithsonian and I got wet. Likeeee super soaked, ha. Oh well though, clothes dry right? The American Indian museum honestly did nothing for me except provide a nice dry place to wait out the rain. It was quite disappointing. However, the Air and Space Museum drastically made up for it both in exhibit numbers and quality! It was huge and glorious! Planes, rockets, jets, bombers, and everything from the Wright brothers planes to a hot air balloon were all on display and I was fascinated of course. the only problem I ran into was not being able to spend more time there. After we left there, we took off to the most sobering sight we Wil see this week - the Holocaust Museum.
I've been there twice before , yet it's still just as powerful as the first time. Ah, it's so hard to wrap my brain around the idea of something like genocide. I just don't understand how someone could commit the atrocities that happened in that time. But they did. Probably the most moving thing to me (as I'm sure is to a lot of people) is the display they have of the shoes. The following quote sums it up perfectly:
" One shoe, two shoes, a dozen shoes, yes. But how can you describe a thousand shoes?" Especially after seeing the actual Auschwitz camp, it was easier to imagine those shoes being on real feet and worn by people who led beautiful, individual lives, only to be destroyed so ruthlessly. It's difficult to think about that without feeling...uneasy about humankind.
I also want to share this poem that also does an impressive job expressing the Jewish question as a whole and why, perhaps, no one spoke up the way we think they should have:
I've been there twice before , yet it's still just as powerful as the first time. Ah, it's so hard to wrap my brain around the idea of something like genocide. I just don't understand how someone could commit the atrocities that happened in that time. But they did. Probably the most moving thing to me (as I'm sure is to a lot of people) is the display they have of the shoes. The following quote sums it up perfectly:
" One shoe, two shoes, a dozen shoes, yes. But how can you describe a thousand shoes?" Especially after seeing the actual Auschwitz camp, it was easier to imagine those shoes being on real feet and worn by people who led beautiful, individual lives, only to be destroyed so ruthlessly. It's difficult to think about that without feeling...uneasy about humankind.
I also want to share this poem that also does an impressive job expressing the Jewish question as a whole and why, perhaps, no one spoke up the way we think they should have:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
We ended our day at the American History Museum which was definitely cool but by this time I was exhausted and saw it last summer as well, so Layla and I ended up sitting in the Cafe and enjoying ourselves. Then we headed back towards the hotel,ate buffalo wild wings for dinner and me,Elizabeth, and doctor davis talked about Andrew Jackson on the way back to our rooms. Needless to say, I've had a good day of museums and can't wa it to get up at615 tomorrow. Yes, there was some sarcasm detected.
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