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Description
Experimenting with regular office supply pens in my sketchbook.

Today is Independence Day. Being a witness to the current political climate and the past few decades (or so) of tumultuous U.S. history makes the topic of patriotism a controversial mixed bag of heavy luggage for American citizens to carry, as far as matters of subjectivity goes.

This is a good time to return to our roots and reflect on the original vision of the New World as a virtuous Republic, as commemorated in the National Monument to Our Forefathers. The 1889 statue stands in Plymouth, Massachusetts and was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society. The inscription reads “NATIONAL MONUMENT OT THE FOREFATHERS BY A GREATFUL PEOPLE IN REMEMBERANCE OF THEIR LABORS, SACRIFICES AND SUFFERINGS FOR THE CAUSE OF CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.” and it represents the 5 principles upon which the Mayflower Pilgrims founded their commonwealth: Faith, Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty.

In reflecting on the framework of our nation today, I recall a PBS documentary, “10 Homes That Changed America” on the air last year. It is about architecture of popular types of American homes. It discussed the art and design of common houses like the adobe and the bungalow, designer buildings for the wealthy and public housing for black communities. The documentary featured a discussion of a public housing complex built to support a large community of black families, including gardens and playgrounds for children. The first of its kind was very successful so they strived to duplicate the same model in other cities across America. It was going well, but after WWII, several of these communities failed to thrive and deteriorated into impoverished, violent ghettos. Architects concluded that a design cannot solve all the problems. For example, building designs do not make people educated; only people can make people better educated. The buildings were just a framework. It is not frameworks, but the people, that determine the success (or failure) of any community.

As with Buildings and Tenants, it’s the same with Government and Citizens. Our government may have the most solid, robust framework on the planet or may need improvement, but government is not a machine running on auto pilot. It is up to us, the people, to uphold our values in the present moment and pass on our fundamental principles to future generations. That’s what really matters.

Reference Links:
[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National…
[2] www.history.com/shows/america-…
[3] www.pbs.org/video/10-changed-a…

Description
Experimenting with regular office supply pens in my sketchbook.

Today is Independence Day. Being a witness to the current political climate and the past few decades (or so) of tumultuous U.S. history makes the topic of patriotism a controversial mixed bag of heavy luggage for American citizens to carry, as far as matters of subjectivity goes.

This is a good time to return to our roots and reflect on the original vision of the New World as a virtuous Republic, as commemorated in the National Monument to Our Forefathers. The 1889 statue stands in Plymouth, Massachusetts and was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society. The inscription reads “NATIONAL MONUMENT OT THE FOREFATHERS BY A GREATFUL PEOPLE IN REMEMBERANCE OF THEIR LABORS, SACRIFICES AND SUFFERINGS FOR THE CAUSE OF CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.” and it represents the 5 principles upon which the Mayflower Pilgrims founded their commonwealth: Faith, Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty.

In reflecting on the framework of our nation today, I recall a PBS documentary, “10 Homes That Changed America” on the air last year. It is about architecture of popular types of American homes. It discussed the art and design of common houses like the adobe and the bungalow, designer buildings for the wealthy and public housing for black communities. The documentary featured a discussion of a public housing complex built to support a large community of black families, including gardens and playgrounds for children. The first of its kind was very successful so they strived to duplicate the same model in other cities across America. It was going well, but after WWII, several of these communities failed to thrive and deteriorated into impoverished, violent ghettos. Architects concluded that a design cannot solve all the problems. For example, building designs do not make people educated; only people can make people better educated. The buildings were just a framework. It is not frameworks, but the people, that determine the success (or failure) of any community.

As with Buildings and Tenants, it’s the same with Government and Citizens. Our government may have the most solid, robust framework on the planet or may need improvement, but government is not a machine running on auto pilot. It is up to us, the people, to uphold our values in the present moment and pass on our fundamental principles to future generations. That’s what really matters.

Reference Links:
[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National…
[2] www.history.com/shows/america-…
[3] www.pbs.org/video/10-changed-a…