We went to Mount Vernon the next day and it was great. Seriously, one of the best museum/historical things I have done. The house was really interesting but honestly the George Washington exhibit is what I found to be so great. They really have done an amazing job at helping you to feel like you get to know the man and doing an appropriate homage to him. It reminded me of how one great man can really make such a difference. It also made me a bit sad to think that we don't really have many of those around nowadays. He sacrificed his whole life for our country. And I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't.
The next day, we were going to go to the Smithsonians, but unfortunately there were several issues with Andy's work and he had to go work. So I went to the Holocaust museum by myself and spent the entire afternoon there. That too was really an amazing experience and it is truly just shocking that something like that could have happened so recently. I honestly cannot believe that people did not stand up for what was right and I wonder what is going on in our world today that we are complacently allowing to happen by being indifferent and not standing up for what is right. It was a good reminder that apathy and indifference can be as dangerous and evil as actually being the perpetrator.
I really liked this quote which was on the final wall as you exited the exhibit:
" When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."
- Pastor Martin Niemöller
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