Politics

Inside with an Intern: A Capitol 4th

Free concerts, phenomenal fireworks, and ethnic food are not usually a part of my Independence Day celebration in my tiny hometown of Wall, Texas. However, experiencing a Capitol 4th included all of the above. And to top off the splendor of the weekend, my older sister up and booked a flight on July 3rd from Madison, Wisconsin, where she attends graduate school, to DC to spend the 4th of July with me.
My weekend began the Friday before, what with having the day off in observance of a federal holiday. I met up with a fellow intern to go check out the Holocaust museum, one of the many museums on my list of things to do before I head back home in August. After waiting in a line filled with fanny pack clad tourist families, we made it into the museum, which was well worth the wait. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Following the museum, we meandered about the Folklife Festival taking place around the mall. Inspired by the folksiness of it all, I ventured to try some South American dishes for lunch, quite different from my usual 4th of July weekend diet of Texas barbeque and ice cream.
The morning of the fourth, I fought the tourists bombarding the Metro to get to the airport to find my sister. We spent the afternoon visiting the Smithsonian castle, where we found the pile of treasures from the set of Night at the Museum 2. We ended up staking out a spot near the Washington Monument, where we watched the Army Concert Band with what seemed like 80 million of our fellow Americans. Being a country music fan, I greatly enjoyed the concert given by Mark Wills. Following the concert, a letter of John Adams was read, which included the following statement regarding the anniversary of our nation?s independence:
?I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.?
I thoroughly enjoyed the public celebration of the fact that one of our forefathers believed with all sincerity that the anniversary of our nation?s independence would be marked by ?acts of devotion to God Almighty? and the usage of guns, two practices which are unfortunately being slowly phased out of our current nation. Soon came the multitude of fireworks, which I?m sure were very beneficial for the environment. Compared to the meager fireworks show I normally plan and execute through my own efforts at home, this was spectacular.
The following Sunday brought a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, which I thought would be incredibly appropriate in light of Independence Day and whatnot. I thoroughly enjoyed the Changing of the Guard, as well as visiting the Eternal Flame at JFK?s gravesite.
With the museums, festival, concert, national cemetery, and fireworks, this 4th of July will truly be one of the most memorable of my life. While I missed my normal celebration including Mom?s cooking and shooting fireworks at my sisters, I did thoroughly enjoy my Capitol 4th. Sally Dierschke- Intern to Rep. Mike Conaway

Full post as published by Mike Conaway's Blog on July 10, 2009 (boomark / email).