Hidden Gem in Plain Sight Under Attack

I make many trips to Washington, DC during the year because I have a daughter and her family who live there, and I get a free bed to sleep in. We’ve visited many of the Smithsonian Museums and government buildings during our stays, and I admit to partaking in quite a number of rallies and demonstrations when they happen to cross my path, or I go seeking them out. I love a lot of the museums and other activities that are available in our Capital, but I have to admit that my favorite is our Library of Congress.

That is why the news I woke up to this morning, or during the night hours, that the head of that wonderful institution, a black woman, who did her job well from what I can see, was literally thrown out of her job via an indifferent email, struck me so hard. As with other such dismissals across many of our wonderful institutions in Washington, this one has once again robbed us of expertise that has protected and overseen the aquisitions of the Library, and has opened up the flood gates to the dismantling of its holdings, and to the disgarding of material that will lead to a skewed vision of our past history. I’m convinced that that is the ultimate goal in taking this action. Of equal importance is that once again, the administration has removed a qualified, dedicated, BLACK, servant of the public. We should all be outraged.

I spent the last 20 years of my work life teaching and tutoring English as a Second Language. The last 10 years or so I worked one on one with individuals who were here through their companies to gain a greater understanding of the US work and general culture, so they could be more effective when they went back home (some of them were able to stay, obtain green cards, and adopt our country as their own). Many were here with their families, and many had generous travel expense benefits and I loved helping them plot out where to go and what to see in those places. Most of them included a trip to Washington, DC in their plans and occasionally I would meet them there if it was convenient. The Library of Congress was always on the list of things to see, and they all came back agreeing that it was a highlight for its beauty, and content and for the knowledge about our country that they gained. There was always some special exhibits that were taken from their vast archives of material that had been donated from other cultures as well.

We should be organizing, not only to protect this institution, but the others that are under attack by this administration, which just does not get how impressive our institutions that we have built through the years are, and how much they add to the richness of our lives. I am in mourning for what we are losing, day after day after day.

MAKE THEM STOP ALREADY!!!!!!