Article II, Executive Branch

The Executive Branch dominated friday in DC. We visited the memorials on the National Mall, including the Lincolon Memorial. The Department of Interior has hosted an indian trading post since about 1938, so we stopped by the store and enjoyed the crafty art. A good tip for those who visit DC is that the Dept of Interior has a cafeteria for its workers, which is open to the public once inside.

The highlight of Friday, and perhaps of all the time in DC, was walking around the Tidal Basin in the moonlight. We started at the FDR memorial, from which one can see the nearby Jefferson Memorial all lit up and reflecting in the water. Also, the Washington and Linclon memorials are beacons after dark.

It's somewhat comforting to see the memorials and be reminded of the difficulties we, as a country, have overcome over time. Too often, I worry about all of the garbage that spews forth from political commentators and others who have no responsibility for actually making things work. They tend to pick at the scabs and open wounds of the day, get their ratings or speaking fees, then move on to the next paycheck. Unfortunately, too many people in Congress who actually have responsibility do not exercise it with earnest goodwill, substituting spin for substance. When I see that and when I know that so many Americans are too dumb to discern falacies behind the rhetoric, I worry. Lincoln reminds us, however, that "you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."