Reflection-2

The Newseum is quite the experience in American nationalist sentiment. The purpose of the museum is to instill a sense of American commonality that doesn’t necessarily provoke a citizen to praise or condone the actions of the government, but instead to reinforce our shared humanity and shared beliefs. Each exhibit has a sense of American triumph. In the case of both highlighted exhibits, the 9/11 and Katrina ones, this idea is certainly veiled and certainly more difficult to understand. First the Berlin Wall is a straight forward tribute to American superiority, which is flaunted by the fact that pieces of a wall that was so significant to Germany resides in Washington D.C. The sports exhibit also highlights the spectacular feats of American athletes, and although there are other athletes hailed such as Pele, the basic feeling of the display is camaraderie in physical success.

Moving up to the 9/11 exhibit is where the most potent national sentiment certainly is. The unity inspired by the events on that fateful day is tangible as you walk around the antenna that had been on top of one of our nations greatest buildings. However, the cinematic experience is the most emotionally jarring. Being from the west coast, never before had I experienced the kind of corporeal mourning that people on the east coast, particularly in New York, had and continue to experience. Despite the sadness related to the attack, the point of the exhibit and the underlying sense of the event in general is a cleansing of the American spirit and the solidarity found in the grief of a nation.

Similarly in regards to Hurricane Katrina, although America experienced one of its most devastating natural disasters and failure of governmental response, there was still a national outcry for help and justice in New Orleans. This pattern of grief routinely brings the nation together. Although tragedy should ultimately be undesired and avoided, there is a certain backwards joy that should be observed in the celebration or at least realization of our common humanity.

America tends to be divided into factions. Republicans and Democrats, black people and white people, rich and poor, powerful and weak, Letts 6 and everyone else…It seems as if Americans are a people who simply want to be “down with the gang,” and this is both depressing and worrisome. Plurality is indicative of maturity, and the delight that I personally found in the Newseum is the antithesis of American division, and therefore is indicative of both idealism and intelligence, two noble constructs which are a valuable rarity in our society.