Comments on Tregoning, Wells bash blank wall on Ukraine memorial - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by MBG

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:41:47 EDT

Better than another Capital Bike Share station!

Comment by Jasper

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:14:22 EDT

Smile! We're on HuffPo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/09/ukrainian-famine-memorial_n_1869478.html

While some have criticized the design of the monument because it creates a high wall along an adjacent sidewalk,

That's us!

Comment by goldfish

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:45:17 EDT

@Jasper: I don' know nothin bout biology -- that is why I asked. I do know what ∆G is, but use it for non-biological pursuits.

Comment by David C

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:13:58 EDT

We have plenty of space for little memorials or monuments throughout the city so let's bring commemorate victims.

I'm with Jasper on this. After 1000 years, DC will start to look like a cemetery.

Comment by Just Saying

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:03:28 EDT

Actually the US holocaust museum is not "the Jews' museum" It documents all victims of the Nazi holocaust, including Roma, Slavs, gays, etc. It also has an exhibit on other genocides. Alison Des Forges did a program there on Rwanda when that genocide was barely over and US policy was still in flux.

Comment by Brian

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 20:18:42 EDT

@Jasper

"Want a monument for that too?"
Actually, yes. Yes I do. We are a multi-cultural country and DC is especially. We have plenty of space for little memorials or monuments throughout the city so let's bring commemorate victims.

"Most Americans don't know how to fill our their tax forms, and that deserves their attention because it costs them money they can't miss. Want a tax monument?"

Your right, tax forms are definitely comparable to millions being murdered. I take back my statement, you win the internet today.

Comment by Jasper

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 19:59:17 EDT

@ Brian:That's pretty callous and it is precisely why this memorial is important.

Why? There is no end if you want to commemorate every victim from every genocide or bloody slaughtering in the history of mankind. I was reading some Chinese history recently, and wow, they had no problem just exterminating whole segments of the population. Want a monument for that too?

Most Americans don't know about it and it deserves our attention.

Most Americans don't know how to fill our their tax forms, and that deserves their attention because it costs them money they can't miss. Want a tax monument?

Comment by Brian

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 17:37:13 EDT

@Charlie "This was a stupid memorial. Sorry, it is true -- there is no need for appease Ukranian-Americans on their tragedy which had nothing to do with the US."

That's pretty callous and it is precisely why this memorial is important. Most Americans don't know about it and it deserves our attention. Millions of Ukrainians died when the Soviets confiscated their grain. Hitler took lessons from Stalin in this regard on how to decimate an entire population.

The number of people killed was roughly the same as the Holocaust and Jewish Americans have a museum. Why can't we commemorate the victims of this genocide with a small corner in our nation's capital?

Comment by Jasper

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:40:43 EDT

@ goldfish: The Gibbs free energy, ∆G, the only energy that matters in biology, as opposed to ∆U and ∆A, which are pretty much useless to experimental scientists, and ∆H which is nice for chemists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_free_energy

You nominated the guy, I thought you knew. Why did you nominate the guy?

Comment by goldfish

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:24:41 EDT

@Jasper: a easily measurable quantity for biologists that few people can tell you the true meaning of.

The biologist in me wants to know: what are you referring to?

Comment by Jasper

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:12:57 EDT

@ goldfish:I want a memorial to J. W. Gibbs

Gibbs, the man that mixed math and thermodynamics to yield a easily measurable quantity for biologists that few people can tell you the true meaning of.

It so much fun. It's easy to explain the math, it's easy to explain the thermo, it's easy to explain why it's so useful for biologists, but the three together: impossible.

Comment by Alex B.

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:25:13 EDT

I like the Nik Tesla idea. I would suggest we find a space for a giant Tesla Coil, similar to the one in Chicago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsHd8QGTxLY

Comment by David C

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:13:23 EDT

Or Nik Tesla!

He also invented that crazy replicating machine that magicians use.

Comment by Dizzy

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:28:21 EDT

@Dan Miller

@Dizzy--also to appease GOP congresscritters who see themselves as heroic members of the resistance.

Right. Resistance TO the Russians and other godless commies.

Comment by goldfish

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:23:53 EDT

I want a memorial to J. W. Gibbs -- no joke, he deserves one.

Comment by Jasper

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:19:45 EDT

@ David C:it's time for us to start rationing our memorials

and museums. Please no more museums for ethnic-Americans. There is a museum for that. The American History Museum.

Also, I can't believe we're getting a memorial to Ukranian Famine victims before we get a memorial to, let's say ... Edison or Salk or the Wright Brothers or

Or Nik Tesla!
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla (go read this, it's Friday afternoon, and you'll laugh)
http://theoatmeal.com/blog/tesla_museum

Comment by mphs

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:17:50 EDT

Dang, that famine was a bad one. Awful. But, you know with all those food trucks there's going to be hipsters sitting atop that wall munching on curbside cupcakes or somesuch.

Famine memorials? That's one ugly wall is what it is.

Comment by David C

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:08:30 EDT

I think this is a Richard Layman idea, but to follow up on Jasper's point, it's time for us to start rationing our memorials. If we decided that we'd only build - for example - one new memorial every 10 years, and that these would alternate between large memorials (of a certain size, but like WWII, MLK, Navy Memorial etc...) and smaller ones like this, we'd force lawmakers to actually choose what matters instead of saying "OK, why not." If a memorial to Ukranian Famine Victims meant that a memorial to James Madison would have to wait another decade (and then compete with all the other ideas) we might end up with better memorials.

We could also further delineate between permanent memorials (Lincoln) and temporary (Gompers), with temporary ones being removed after 100 years.

So if I were running the show, we might get something like this.

On an four year cycle

Permanent, large memorial
Temporary memorial
Permanent, small memorial
Temporary memorial

Congress could submit a list of proposals to the President - any idea that could get approval of 100 house members and 25 Senators, and the President could decide among them.

That's how I'd do it.

Also, I can't believe we're getting a memorial to Ukranian Famine victims before we get a memorial to, let's say, those who died on slave ships or on the Trail of Tears or the exploration of Space or building the Panama Canal, etc...; or monuments to Madison or Edison or Salk or the Wright Brothers or any one of the many worthy Americans without one.

Comment by Steve S.

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:42:47 EDT

Is this the first time Peter May has objected to lowering the height of something?

Comment by Dan Miller

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:08:52 EDT

@Dizzy--also to appease GOP congresscritters who see themselves as heroic members of the resistance.

Comment by Doug

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:01:29 EDT

...Important questions like that could be discussed in the comments.

Comment by Doug

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EDT

Who designed this memorial? I would like to hear what they have to say about it.... In the design for the Eisenhower memorial it would be sacrilege if you did not mention Frank Gehry. All too often on this site and many others you don't get to hear who the designer is. Important questions like: Should the gov't hire xyz designer again based on their poor track record, or not being innovative in their design.

Comment by Dizzy

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:59:26 EDT

I agree, the first question is: why does a memorial to the 1932-1933 Ukranian famine deserve such a prominent place near the capital building?

For the same reason the "Memorial to the Victims of Communism" is in a nearby and similar location - to piss off the Russians.

Comment by David

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:53:43 EDT

I agree, the first question is: why does a memorial to the 1932-1933 Ukranian famine deserve such a prominent place near the capital building? If it must go there (or anywhere) and it must have this deadening design, then maybe we should be talking about moving the nearby CaBi station directly behind the wall and let go of the pointless highway landscaping.

Comment by Jasper

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:42:18 EDT

The empty public reservations in DC will turn into memorials over time. That's appropriate.

True. Just want to point out that 'over time' does not mean 'in the next decade'. Most serious country capitals exist for hundreds of years. Keep some space for your awesome 98th president, and those heroic soldiers that won the war against the Caneximahans in 2543. Or for the celebration of America's 500th and 1000th birthday in 2276 and 2776.

Comment by Gavin

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:41:16 EDT

This is exactly the kind of thoughtful, detailed reporting and analysis that makes this site so valuable to our region. Who else would bother to explain why a blank wall matters? Yet it does.

Comment by Mike

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:39:31 EDT

"Tregoning, Wells bash blank wall on Ukraine memorial"

Already vandalizing it? What did they bash it with, their bare hands?

Comment by charlie

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:27:46 EDT

"The empty public reservations in DC will turn into memorials over time. That's appropriate. "

No, that's not. Turn then back over to DC.

This was a stupid memorial. Sorry, it is true -- there is no need for appease Ukranian-Americans on their tragedy which had nothing to do with the US.