February 15, 2010

A Reflective Memorial for President’s Day

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

I wonder which generation was the first to complain that our government was out of touch? Has it been in my lifetime? Or did it begin at least in some corners when George Washington himself took office? It’s an unfortunate dilemma that the officials meant to represent us seem to live and work in such a different world than our own.

One President seems to have convinced his fellow Americans that if he wasn’t exactly like them, at least he was in touch. They respected him so much he was elected to four consecutive terms as President – a feat not even allowed today. His name was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and when I think of his Fireside Chats each week and the two difficult eras through which he led our nation – The Great Depression and World War II – I have to assume there was something in his words and in his voice that comforted his listeners and left them feeling that the speaker understood their needs.

Itineraries for Washington D.C. educational tours are usually filled with US Presidents. So many of the beautiful monuments and memorials are dedicated to those who’ve held that prestigious office. The memorial for FDR is just one of many – and certainly not the most familiar or most commonly reproduced on film or television. But it spans more years than any other as it celebrates the man who held the office for the longest amount of time.

Each room of the FDR memorial is dedicated to one of his four terms in office. Each holds a statue of the President in a different pose from the others. Each displays his words. Each provides a serene, refreshing atmosphere with running waterfalls.

Outside the memorial you’ll find a replica of a 1930s breadline, a common sight during the Great Depression when President Roosevelt’s fireside chats began. Many of the President’s famous words are displayed in his memorial as well, including one of his most popular topics: The Four Freedoms. Roosevelt declared these to be the four basic freedoms every human should enjoy: freedom of Speech, freedom of Religion, freedom from Want, and freedom from Fear.

The Great Depression certainly threatened the third freedom listed, and World War II undoubtedly threatened the fourth. How comforting Roosevelt’s words must have been that we could expect and should hope for and work toward a day when every human could enjoy each of the freedoms he declared. The FDR memorial is a cool retreat on a hot day with its flowing water, and it’s a reminder of a man who brought refreshing words in troubling times. It’s just one of the many great presidential memorials on the National Mall, but it’s certainly one worth visiting.

Photo by by matt.h.wade on Flickr.

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