From outside the George Washington Masonic National Memorial,
on Shooter’s Hill in Alexandria, VA, one has a good view of the Amtrak and
Metro lines which connect the town to Union station in Washington, DC.
Amtrak diesel No. 9 was just leaving for the capital with a passenger
train from Fredericksburg or Broad Run. In the background is King Street, the
main road through the town that connects the stations to the waterfront, from
where you can see the Capitol building on the other side of the Potomac river -
the beating heart of USA government.
The memorial costs 18 dollars to look around. Instead, I
stayed outside on the steps and watched the white-throated sparrows and
flame-red cardinals in the surrounding gardens, and listened to the northern
mockingbirds going through their varied repertoire.
Then I wondered if the USA government’s heart is still
really beating in the way that George Washington and those who came after him
had intended and when at least one aspect of American democracy might be
restored to something approaching its full health.
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