Always wanted to visit some of those old buildings in Europe. Then I remember i'm in the best damn country in the world so.... meh, still gonna visit.
TESTies, what national monuments do you find impacted you the most?
- Thread starter Wolfy
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Doesn't matter which country is best, if it 'aint TEST it's not best at anything.
Shadow Reaper
Space Marshal
I think Oppenheimer was quoting Shiva in the Vedas?, and said "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." Scary that the guy in charge of building the bomb would quote like that, but it has been more than 70 years we have not used it. That part is encouraging.
Shouldn't that be "...but it has been more than 70 years since we used it"? ;)
Shadow Reaper
Space Marshal
I think the development of nukes was inevitable. Honestly, it's not those that scare me. It's Cyber, Chemical, and Biological weaponry that I think has the biggest impact to destroy.
I've been to Arlington once and Washington D.C. twice. I can't really say which had a greater impact, however I would say my favorite one would be the WWII memorial (I think that was it). The quote "The price of Freedom" accompanying more stars than I could count representing the loses suffered during the conflict put things in perspective nicely.
There was also a metal plaque story-board thing(?) Showing the advance and eventual meeting of the eastern and western fronts, with the two soldiers shaking hands. This I felt had a lot of meaning, despite the USSR and USA not getting along politically, for them they were all grunts in the mud fighting a common enemy, politics didn't matter to them.
It made me wonder what could have been had the USSR and USA just sucked it up, put aside their differences (so to speak) and worked together.
I mean hell, the colonies basically shit on Britain's doorstep but now we're the best of friends!
There was also a metal plaque story-board thing(?) Showing the advance and eventual meeting of the eastern and western fronts, with the two soldiers shaking hands. This I felt had a lot of meaning, despite the USSR and USA not getting along politically, for them they were all grunts in the mud fighting a common enemy, politics didn't matter to them.
It made me wonder what could have been had the USSR and USA just sucked it up, put aside their differences (so to speak) and worked together.
I mean hell, the colonies basically shit on Britain's doorstep but now we're the best of friends!
I got a lot of friends in the UK now, glad we are allies.
Shadow Reaper
Space Marshal
Yes, but Stalin murdered 70 million of his own people--far more than died in all WWII on all sides, including civilian casualties. How do you make peace with that? To this day, places like Venezuela suffer from the same diseased plan to subjugate people, now have a 2600% inflation rate, and people are killing zoo animals to get food. Talk with those who fled Castro's Cuba, or look at Greece. Everywhere socialism goes, it destroys. Lying to ourselves about this, when the simple fact is people will not work unless they perceive a self-interest, just creates more suffering each day. Look at North Korea. Look at China. How much evidence could anyone possibly need all to demonstrate the obvious fact that when you remove self-interest and the ability to thrive from hard work, what you get is misery. No one needs to make peace with that.
And we should note, Stalin was killing his own before WWII. When the war was done he went right back to it. There was never any opportunity to work together with them.
Radegast74
Space Marshal
Great responses! I wanted to add my personal favorite:
Custer Battlefield National Monument, now called Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It has a lot of symbolism, as well as amazing scenery. Talk about "big sky" country! They have markers where all the soldiers fell, and there is a quote from a Native American chief on a building somewhere: "Know the power that is peace." Amazingly moving. If you are ever within 200 miles, divert your trip and go there.
https://www.nps.gov/libi/index.htm
Custer Battlefield National Monument, now called Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It has a lot of symbolism, as well as amazing scenery. Talk about "big sky" country! They have markers where all the soldiers fell, and there is a quote from a Native American chief on a building somewhere: "Know the power that is peace." Amazingly moving. If you are ever within 200 miles, divert your trip and go there.
https://www.nps.gov/libi/index.htm
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Grisha
Admiral
I regularly head down to the Vietnam war memorial, but the internment camp memorial in DC is still one of the most contemplative in the District.
They had a temporary exhibit a while back about artists who painted and drew stuff they saw during WWI. It had dozens of paintings in a bunch of different styles. There was one painting, though, that looked almost abstract, just a bunch of blurred swirls of varying colours, with a big smoke plume in the background; the only thing in proper focus were the horses, right in the middle. It hit me pretty hard for some reason.
The Mall, Washington, DC
I was one of several hundred thousand to converge on Washington to protest the weekend after the Kent State shootings in1970
the sight of so many demonstrating together spontaneously, courageously, and peacefully was an inspiration I will always remember
and a bunch of us took the opportunity to skinny-dip in the Reflecting Pool too :smirk:
I was one of several hundred thousand to converge on Washington to protest the weekend after the Kent State shootings in1970
the sight of so many demonstrating together spontaneously, courageously, and peacefully was an inspiration I will always remember
and a bunch of us took the opportunity to skinny-dip in the Reflecting Pool too :smirk:
Han Burgundy
Space Marshal
I fell down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial once.....Id say that impact was pretty substantial because I sprained my wrist on the way down.
A buddy of mine tripped at the 9/11 memorial benches and busted his head open on one. I'm sure he remembers that impact well.
Han Burgundy
Space Marshal
Never forget.
TheBlackadder
Grand Admiral
When I was in school I went on a trip to Ypres and saw the Menin Gate. Over 54000 commemorated there, that really taught me the scale of WW1.
I'll also always remember the services at the Welsh National War Memorial in Alexandra Gardens. When I was in the Air Cadets we would parade with the Normandy Vets Association. A bigger group of fun loving scoundrels you could never meet, alas they are getting fewer in number by the year.
I'll also always remember the services at the Welsh National War Memorial in Alexandra Gardens. When I was in the Air Cadets we would parade with the Normandy Vets Association. A bigger group of fun loving scoundrels you could never meet, alas they are getting fewer in number by the year.
I agree with AstroGimp01'
The Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial in DC is the best. Very subtle. Onyx stone wall set into the landscape inscribed with the names of the fallen.
EmpireRuled
Commander
For my part, I think it is less about the specific monuments that I have visited or am aware of - both at home and abroad - than the reverence people have for those sites. Certainly, as was mentioned above, nationalism can be the cause for or the result of the events that lead to monuments being erected in the first place. But like anything on this planet, a symbol can be good or evil, representative of liberty or oppression, or viewed at face value or as a metaphorical symbol of the powers that lead to suffering. I will say this: The day that sanctity is forgotten, the day that reverence for something ephemeral and intangible is attacked, the day that people are no longer moved by the sacrifices of loved ones and strangers, is the day that we have all lost to the very things that ensure the continuation of global strife. Wealth, power and control. I have served and I have fought, but I know that the farther away from my brothers my mind traced the conflicts I was involved in, the more diluted and twisted our cause was made by the powerful, the wealthy elite and the utterly disconnected. Likewise, the animals that I encountered over the years were as motivated by power and wealth and avarice as the most powerful government. We are all different and we all have differing views, and there are no perfect answers to problems in the world. But fight a man for his God, his land or his family and be prepared for violence.
But know this. There are still sacred things in this world. And they should be cherished and protected at all costs and in the face of any 'power'. Be humble, focus on what matters most to YOU, and when you see someone's monument don't let those fuckers win.
But know this. There are still sacred things in this world. And they should be cherished and protected at all costs and in the face of any 'power'. Be humble, focus on what matters most to YOU, and when you see someone's monument don't let those fuckers win.