Washington DC

I've just returned from three days in Washington DC. This was about my seventh trip and each time it gets better. There is always something else to see.

We had rain, but we did manage to see the cherry blossoms at their peak. They are quite a sight. There are also some new memorials - WWII, FDR, Korean War, all quite impressive. I was not fond of the FDR memorial because I had heard that he wanted a simple memorial. His memorial has four outdoor "rooms", each depicting scenes from his four terms as president. He never wanted to be photographed in his wheelchair, so at one point, he is in a chair with a blanket draped over his legs. The chair does have very small wheels, somewhat like casters. However, this caused much controversey and another statue had to be cast showing him in a wheelchair.

The purpose of showing the wheelchair was to show that even though he couldn't walk, he was still strong. It was, I feel, a concession to the handicapped, but I really don't understand why his wishes were not honored.

Both the wheelchair and grand memorial take something away from the man. I can't understand why his wishes were not honored. Was it for the ego of the designer of the memorial?