Patriotism and Privilege

This past spring, I attended a conference in Washington DC.  It was my first time visiting, so I made arrangements to be able to spend half a day exploring the city and the landmarks. Public transit in DC is great with the Metro system, and even though I was staying in Alexandria for my conference, it was just a quick trip via train to the Mall.

As I was leaving my hotel, I texted my wife...

I'm going on an adventure!

Who it excited for an adventure in the City? 

Her reply of care and concern was something like, "Are you going all by yourself? On the train? Into the city? Alone?"

And my response was something like, "Yep! It'll be fun!"

A five-minute walk to the Metro station, a two-minute wait for my train, and a ten-minute train-ride into the city later, I was at the National Mall. To my left, the Washington Monument. To my right, the U.S. Capitol. So much to see, and so little time!

I headed to the Capitol first. Since I hadn't called ahead to arrange a visit, I just toured the outside, which was fascinating to me anyway.

U.S. Capitol

Next, across the street to the Supreme Court! I have been listening to More Perfect (a podcast all about the Supreme Court) over the past year, so I was very much looking forward to visiting the Court. Here I did head inside for a brief self-guided tour. It was amazing! I was even able to peer into the courtroom, but it was roped off and I decided I better not stop in. But I was glad I had the opportunity to see so much in such a short time there.

Supreme Court

After the Supreme Court, I walked back across toward the Capitol, and came around the north side back onto the Mall. I decided to head toward the Washington Monument--and all the rest of the monuments that are on the west side of the Mall. Thankfully, I noticed a bikeshare, and decided it made sense to pedal, so I could maximize my time at the different sites. 

Smart way to see the city--rent a bike!

With bikeshare rental spots all around the city, this worked out really well! I could drop off a bike near almost any point of interest, and when I was done with that visit, check out another and pedal my way to my next stop. And so I was off, pedaling down the Mall toward the Washington Monument...

Washington Monument

When I got there, it happened to be closed for renovations, so I didn't wait around...I kept on pedaling toward the Lincoln Memorial. Along the way, I stopped at the WWII Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial to pay my respects. And then, the Lincoln Memorial...

Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool.

This was the iconic stop for me, the one I was most excited to see. Lincoln looms large among the U.S. Presidents, of course. How could he not? This stop was the most solemn and profound for me. I wound up lingering here for almost half an hour. It was very moving for me.

Eventually, I went on. I decided to pedal around to the Jefferson Memorial, and quickly looked at the FDR Memorial and MLK Memorial on my way.

Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial is quite some distance away from the others, across the Tidal Basin from the Mall, so it took me some time to get there. I'm glad I got to see it. But I really wish I had stopped to take a picture looking back from the Jefferson Memorial towards the Mall, because it is such a grand sight. 

After pedaling back to the Mall, I realized I had about an hour before I was planning to head back to my hotel to catch some afternoon sessions. I figured I had time to see the White House, so I pedaled my way past the Treasury Building to Lafayette Square, and turned onto Pennsylvania Avenue...

At the White House.

There were many people out in front, and many armed guards. Honestly, I'm amazed I got the above photo with no one else in the shot! 

After a few minutes looking through the fence at the Executive Mansion, I pedaled back down towards the Mall, and parked my bike near my Metro station. It had been a very full four hours of exploring for me, and I didn't even visit any of the museums! (Next time I need to budget more time!) I left the Mall feeling very patriotic, and proud to be an American.

And I am proud to be an American! I am tremendously grateful for the freedoms that I have living in this nation. I am grateful to live a place that has provided me with--relatively speaking--a ridiculous amount of wealth and education, compared to most other people in the history of the world, right up to the present day.

I am privileged.

Patriotic...and privileged. 

I had this realization as I took the Metro back to my hotel: my privileged position is what allowed me to head out on this adventure.

I live in America, the land of opportunity. But I am privileged, and there is no way around it. I am a well-educated, middle-class, white, heterosexual, Christian, male. I am in no way a minority. I am in no way oppressed. Yes, I've worked hard to reach my current spot in life, but this doesn't diminish the privileged position I occupy. 

I enjoy a level of education many other are not able to access.

I enjoy a level of economic freedom that is not a given for all Americans.

As a Christian, I am a member of the majority religion in this nation. 

The color of my skin, my sexual orientation, and my biological gender are all in my favor, in terms of my station in life.

I don't apologize for any of this, but I at the same time, this trip to the Mall made me so much more aware of the privilege that I inhabit.

Even my wife's question, "Are you going alone?" reveals my privilege: I'm comfortable enough in the skin I'm in--along with my other personal characteristics--to hop on a train and head into the city all by myself. Just the fact that I am male, and a pretty large person, combine to give me a level of personal confidence and security that I was sure I would be fine.

I guess I'm just feeling a little reflective this week, as we celebrate Independence Day here in the USA, about both patriotism and privilege.

It was good to visit President Lincoln. I hope I'll get to visit him again.

When I visited Honest Abe while I was in DC, I was moved. I think I have a special affinity for Lincoln, because--I have been told--that he too stood over 6'4", and was gangly, and a little awkward. But he was able to effect change: he used his patriotism and his privileged position to make a difference for good in the world. Would that all of us who have some measure of privilege use it for good!