So today's my first day home from Washington D.C.! I spent last night in the dorms, since I got home around 11 PM. Some of us grabbed smoothies in Penn Station (It was REALLY expensive - I don't recommend eating there unless you have no other options.)
My trip to D.C. didn't go exactly as planned, I'm sad to say.
When we got to the Supreme Court around one - people had been lined up for our case since Thursday. Yikes, right? I guess we should have seen that coming, since these cases were such a media-fest.
We decided to make the best of a bad situation. We gave up on trying to get into the Court and decided instead on sightseeing Washington. Our hotel was only two blocks from the National Mall, so it was really convenient.
Monday we went over to the Air and Space Smithsonian, which was amazing. One of the guys on the trip, David, wants to fly planes for the Marines. He kept explaining the mechanism for the planes and various things about the history of aviation. After that we went to the hotel for a little while, and I learned a card game called Mao. I can't explain this game to you, you'll just have to play it. (there's a penalty for explaining the rules, so I actually cannot tell you.) We then went out to dinner and got tapas. Tapas is a style of Spanish cuisine where the entire table orders many small dishes, and everyone eats family-style. My favourite part was the empanadas! I love empanadas! After dinner we walked back to the hotel and went to sleep; everyone was beat.
The next day started early - around 9 we all checked out of the hotel and set out for breakfast. We went to a chain called Cosi; and they had jalepeño cheddar bagels that were really really good. I want to find one in NYC and see if it's worth it there. On our way there, we saw a parade in the National Mall - it was the length of the entire mall! There were people with fifes and bagpipes and drums, there were banners and signs and flags of several different nations. When we got close enough, we realized that all the signs were in favour of maintaining Proposition 8. Regardless of your political views, this sight was awe inspiring. The fact that people are so passionate never ceases to amaze me.
We split up after breakfast. Most of the group went to walk down the National Mall to see all the memorials - WWII, Vietnam, the Lincoln and Washington Memorials. I chose to go with the group and see the Smithsonian museum of American History, which was amazing. They had an exhibit on the history of food in America and how it changes depending on immigration and social movements and different important chefs who changed American cuisine. They had two whole rooms devoted to Julia Child - did you know that she wasn't only a great chef, but she worked with the OSS, which was the precursor of the CIA? Yeah, she was a badass intelligence agent. Needless to say I was in heaven; my two great loves, food and history, were combined in one AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
We also walked through exhibits devoted to the maritime history of America, a collection of things that were made in America, and the big one - the military history of America. They had uniforms, paperwork, weapons, supplies, and interactive media for several major wars. Conspicuously absent were both the War of 1812 (not exactly surprising, since its' nickname is "America's Forgotten War") and the Korean War. I was surprised they chose to leave out the Korean War, but include the Vietnam War. The War on Terror was also not mentioned much, they glossed from Vietnam to the idea of the future of the military. Both of my parents are in the military, so this exhibit is really interesting to me.
Around one o'clock we decided to head towards the Supreme court and see what was going on. The same protestors that we had seen before had set up in the National Mall and were having a rally with speakers and videos and all sorts of hoopla.
To be perfectly honest with you all, I am a stauch supporter of equal marriage rights. I don't think you can discriminate against a person who wants to get married just because of their sex or the sex of the person they wish to marry. Listening to some of the arguments going on in the streets was difficult, both when I agreed and disagreed with the people. But it was really interesting to hear all the different justifications behind people's decisions, and comparing it to the arguments being used in the courts.
After that we walked up past the Capitol Building and spent a few minutes sitting there soaking in the majesty. When we got to the far side, we saw all the protestors who wanted Proposition 8 repealed. I have never seen so many rainbow flags and clever signs. There were so many media members taking photos and videos, people talking, already in line for the DOMA arguments that were today.
We found out that even though there were arguments on Tuesday, we could go in and take a little tour. There was a hallway with plenty of busts and historical paintings, and after we walked through there we got to sit inside the Supreme Court room. It was absolutely magical. Did you know that there is no technology allowed to be brought into the Court? The only recording devices are the ones that do the official court reporting. The journalists have to write, by hand, on paper. The only way images are created is when a sketch artist does a drawing while he sits there.
After that we decided to mosey our way back to the hotel, and pick up all the luggage we left behind. From there we caught cabs to Union Station, which is really beautiful as well. Its about 4 times the size of Grand Central and, in my opinion, more beautiful by far. After we ate dinner we hopped on the bus at 6 and were back in the City by 11.
I am so glad that I go the opportunity to go on this trip. I had an amazing time, made a few new friends, and watched part of history unfold. College is entirely what you make it into, and I think this is one of the best things I've made so far. When I have a bit more time on my hands, I'll go through al the images and show you guys what I saw!
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