Philip Kennicott’s Nov. 11 Critic’s Notebook column, “The problem with war on the Mall’s western front,” raised profound questions about the role of the capital’s landscape and structures in teaching U.S. history.
The issues are whether the National Mall’s war memorials create an impression that “war is not an occasional exception to peace but the perpetual American project,” and, generally, whether these memorials conflict with the Mall’s original purpose.
The nation was founded during a revolution that included a long, brutal war for independence; the Union was preserved by a nearly four-year civil war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives; and the United States was a leader of the remarkable alliance that fought and defeated the existential threat posed by totalitarianism in the 20th century. Securing and protecting American liberty has come at a very high price. Does candid recognition of that truth diminish the Mall?
Many Washingtonians and visitors enjoy the Mall primarily for its peaceful open spaces. It is a good thing that park visitors and recreational athletes are constantly reminded that they live the American Dream because earlier generations sacrificed.
Steven Berizzi, Norwalk, Connecticut
I disagreed with Philip Kennicott’s description in his Nov. 11 Critic’s Notebook column of the purpose of National Mall memorials. Those Korean War, Vietnam War and Desert Shield and Desert Storm memorials are decidedly not “devoted to war and military power.” There are no statues of generals and admirals or depictions of conquest at these sites; instead, there are designs featuring infantrymen braving snow and ice in a harsh Korean winter, nurses comforting wounded warriors in Vietnam and soldiers fighting wind and heat in the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq.
The memorials on the National Mall also bear the names of those tens of thousands of men and women, of all ranks, who gave their lives to serve this nation. Whatever the political objectives, execution or outcomes of these recent conflicts, America’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines should be honored for their service and sacrifice.
Edward J. Marolda, Montclair, Virginia
Philip Kennicott’s Nov. 11 Critic’s Notebook column didn’t mention one key monument to peace near the National Mall. And given its near-death experience thanks to the U.S. DOGE Service, it should be revisited.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was the dream of several key senators who were veterans of combat and believed that the extensive resources America puts into preparing for and memorializing war should be matched by a modest outlay directed toward seeking peaceful solutions to conflict and presenting the world with a living monument to peace.
The independent and nonpartisan institute was established by Congress in 1984 and moved into its new headquarters in 2011. It was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie to accentuate openness, bridge-building and trust on the inside, with the wings of a dove overlaying its roof. At night, the building glows with hope and possibility.
If Congress were to assert its constitutional authority and restore the building to its original purpose, it could also provide a brief history of American peacemaking on the plaza in front of the building.
Memorializing our many conflicts is entirely appropriate, given the heavy cost in lives and shattered futures of those who served and sacrificed for freedom. A restored and enhanced Institute of Peace could complete the picture of America’s place in the world with a tribute to those who fought to secure the peace, as its staff continued to work on peacemaking around the world.
Keith Mines, Alexandria
The writer is a former vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
A lesson for Trump’s arch
Regarding the Nov. 6 news article “Federal judge halts Trump’s arch an hour after federal panel approves it”:
In 2000, the federal government seized through eminent domain a 393-foot observation tower overlooking the Gettysburg National Military Park. The tower was demolished on the 137th anniversary of Pickett’s Charge. For the more than 25 years that it loomed over the historic battlefield, the Park Service, historians, preservationists and neighbors objected to the structure as a debasement of a national landmark. The removal of the Gettysburg National Tower set a precedent. The proposed observation deck atop Trump’s arch shadowing Arlington National Cemetery should not be built.
Mindy Kotler, Washington
L.A.’s Indian mayor-elect
Since when has “South Asian” become the preferred term in lieu of “Indian”? The Nov. 6 news article “Democratic socialist Nithya Raman unseats Karen Bass in L.A. mayor’s race” mentioned that the mayor-elect immigrated from India to the United States at the age of 6, and in the same sentence stated that she is the first Los Angeles mayor of South Asian descent.
Why use a region of origin (South Asia) in place of a country of origin (India)? If the mayor-elect had immigrated from France, would she be referred to as being of Western European descent? If she had immigrated from Morocco, would she be of North African descent?
A region of origin (South Asia) should not be used in place of a country of origin (India), which spans the land east of the Sindhu River, south of the Himalayan mountain ranges and north of the ocean that bears the country’s name.
By year-end, the U.S.’s two most populous cities, New York and Los Angeles, will have mayors of Indian descent. Either their parents were born in India (New York’s Zohran Mamdani) or they themselves were born in India (Raman). Why use a generic term when a specific one exists?
Mohan Pillalamarri, Vienna
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