This is one of the photos released today by the Park Police showing the cracks in the Washington monument. Below is another picture.
Of course, one of the favorite factoids that I share with visitors is the different color of the marble of the Washington Monument showing where the construction was stopped. Construction began in 1848 and continued until 1854. When donations dried up, the construction stopped. When construction resumed years later, the quality of the stone and work was so bad, marble was later removed. When construction resumed in 1879, it was impossible to find exact matches for the marble.
Personally, I think that they should leave the scar as one more interesting record of the monument. We all have scars to brag about.
You are absolutely correct Flight of Fruit….The Democratic Party has become the do nothing party….Now the Republican Party is the do something party, exactly how…They are not much better…You will agree….Now the Fruit Fly party that shoooo’s everything did what…Oh yeah…tried to Bankrupt the economy with crazy assed lamed brained ideals…Now that is progress don’t you see….Anymore brainy act going to follow…You all have Perry the hand milker for Bush….Bachmann, Batshit crazy…. Romney…all for downsizing the work force, he has made lots of money…but kind of like Trumpt…lives off of his daddy’s fame…Huntsman….the only one smart enough to actually hold an original ideal…but does not stand a chance in hell getting the nomination…What other brains do you have to offer as a token of good will to the American People….
The Know Nothings joined with the Abolitionists which led to the success of the newly-formed Republican Party to end slavery. Even Senator Trumbull (who chastized Senator Douglass for having the support of the Know Nothings and Abolitionists) joined the Republican Party.
To speak ill of the civil war era Republican Party is to speak ill of the efforts to end slavery.
SWM,
If I’d gone to school during that time period…I could have learned about that party as well back then…That too was something I learned in college…a historical economics course…
Know-nothing is more characteristic of the democratic party. Wait, maybe it is the do-nothing party.
Oh, the things that I learn here… I’m reminded of a quote:
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance. -Socrates
(…and thanks for the ohiohistory link, Blouise.)
blouise, I remember the Know Nothings from history class. I think I posted last year that the tea party reminded me of them. It happened when a poster defended the tea party if you remember.
Blouise,
Can I offer my two cents… Philosophically, the party’s have reversed roles since the time they have come to existence…
There was the North Democrat and Southern Democrats….Neither would budge and each ran it own member for President…The only party that ran both in the North and South was the Republicans and the Constitutional Union…
Abraham Lincoln, Republican
John C. Breckinridge, Southern Democratic
John Bell, Constitutional Union
Stephen A. Douglas, Democratic
It then became know as the CU even fighting with Fillmore…..The party platform advocated compromise to save the Union, with the slogan “the Union as it is, and the Constitution as it is.
I had posted something similar to this about a year ago…
HenMan,
Here’s a link to a bit of history on The Know Nothings:
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=911
(last paragraph from article)
“The Know-Nothing Party refused to take a stand on slavery. As a result of the party’s refusal to take a position on slavery, the Know-Nothing Party declined by the presidential election of 1860. The party did not run a candidate for president in this election, as many of its followers had joined the Republican Party.”
And you thought I was kidding … 🙂
Blouise-
That was a really bad day for America. Know-Nothing bastards! You’ll pay for this!
HenMan,
And the Capitol dome … I saw the same movie … just another dastardly plot by The Know-Nothings …
I thought the Washington Monument was destroyed when a flying saucer crashed into it in the 1950’s. Or was that a movie I saw?
Blind Faithiness,
It’s just another plot by the The Know-Nothings … from the grave … those bastards never give up! 😉
Time for folks in DC to go camping for a few days. Go west at least a hundred miles. Take survival gear … tents, food, water, and some form of reliable communication devices.
Irene, after all the rain and ground saturation, could shut things down awhile.
Off and on topic:
These few seconds that this was felt and some of the reactions that took place after. Sure blows a hole in those signs that you see that are usually placed over traffic lights that a particular street is an evacuation route.
What Blind Faithiness said…
Luckily Jshamus, most Americans are too ignorant of American history to know that the line isn’t where the flood peaked.
Who needs history when you got facebook, phones, and TV. It’ll be much easier to flush this country down the toilet if no one knows about or cares about its history anymore. We’re getting closer by the day.
Well, what shall they do….oh yeah…nothing….but…they probably will have a teaparty fight about fixing our national treasures…
Born and raised in Silver Spring/Wheaton (Kemp Mill to be exact).
We always told visitors that the line on the obelisk is where the flood peaked.
Seems fitting.
We got cracks in our most iconic symbol of America.
Maybe its a metaphor for the cracks in our society and gov’t.