The Great and the Ordinary

Every time I am in Washington, DC, I spend some time walking at the National Mall visiting some of the memorials and monuments.  Yesterday my walk took me to the Washington Monument, still closed by the earthquake last year, the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial.  I also visited the World War II and Korean War Memorials.  It was a sunny afternoon and I encountered lots of school groups and others taking in the sights.

The monuments and memorials to the Founding Fathers, great presidents, and champions of justice and human rights are striking in their grand, larger-than-life scale.  Except for the Washington Monument, each has quotes and excerpts of documents the person had written or spoken.  Reading these and looking up to the statue of these great Americans, I was struck by the fact that throughout our history, great people have responded to the times and stepped forward to lead, to voice confidence and to provide hope.  Each of the monuments honors a man who led at critical times: Washington and Jefferson at the founding of the United States, Lincoln during the greatest test of our republic, Roosevelt during the Great Depression and World War II, and King championing civil rights for all Americans.  Each led America during a time of testing.  They provided leadership and articulated a vision for the country, and they provided hope for the people.

Contrasted with these individual leaders were the memorials to the wars.  At the World War II Monument, the bravery of ordinary men and women is honored and memorialized.  as I walked about the monument I kept thinking of my father and his service in the Pacific during the war.  I saw dozens of WWII veterans, many in wheelchairs, at the memorial.  I thought about the sacrifice of these brave men and the sacrifices made by women and families on the home front as well.

All this got me thinking about the challenges America faces today.  We face a myriad of problems; some would argue that our problems today are as great as the ones faced in the past.  Leaders came forward during those other times - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and King.  I wonder when the next great leader will step forward.  Who will lead providing a clear vision and hope for all people?

We have always had the ordinary people step forward and sacrifice for the good of the country, willing to sacrifice for the "greater good."  Will we have that commitment in the future?

Perhaps every elected official in Washington DC should be required to visit the monuments and memorials at the National Mall periodically and read the inscriptions and reflect on great leadership and the sacrifices of ordinary Americans.  Maybe they would remember that they are elected to serve the country.