Mr. Jefferson Stands Alone AND He Does Not Dance

Of all the Presidents we have had, it's possible that Thomas Jefferson is my favorite. And the Jefferson Memorial is one of my favorite places here in DC. It is why I decided to propose to Mrs. BA on the steps of the Memorial. On that particular night, we walked around the Memorial, as we had done on several occasions. We took note of a sign posted by the Park Service listing a number of things that one could not do on the grounds. I remarked to Mrs. BA, "I wonder what they will think of this" and proceeded to get down on one knee and propose.

I was reminded of that (not that I really need reminding of that great night) not long ago when I read this article from the Washington Post (and also on We Love DC). It would appear that a woman was overcome with Jefferson aura and began to dance inside the rotunda of the Memorial. She was directed to stop and when she did not comply, she was charged with demonstrating without a permit. While the charges were later dropped, she filed a lawsuit wherein she accused the National Park Service of violating her rights to free expression. A judge threw that case out (the gist of the links in this paragraph).

In the "thick with irony" category, it seems weird for a woman to be charged with opposing restrictions in a place dedicated to the man who wrote those freedoms down on paper. But, oh well.

It has been 70 years since the laying of the cornerstone of the Memorial in East Potomac Park. There was a very good article in the Washington Post Magazine (imagine that - a good article in the Post Magazine!?). The article reveals something about the Memorial that I would have preferred not to know as it might restrict my visits to the inside. Under the dome is evidently home to hundreds of spiders.