I made good on my promise to go to the Lincoln Memorial today, even though the high temperature was only expected to reach the freezing mark. Traffic was relatively light and parking was great. The picture above is of the spot on the plaza–between the first and second set of steps– where King delivered his famous speech. In case you can’t read the fine print:

The March on Washington
For jobs and freedom
August 28, 1963

These three wreaths were nearby. I don’t know what time the apparent ceremony was supposed to take place. The ribbon of the first one reads: “Department of Interior” and I know a second one was from the Department of Labor. Not sure about the third. Can’t find a press release regarding any event that happened today.

It being the Lincoln Memorial, the tiny exhibit room downstairs really deals with Lincoln and construction of the Memorial. However, there was one quote of Lincoln’s that I felt was in the spirit of the day and of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memory:

Let us discard all this quibbling about this man or the other man, this race and that race, and the other race being inferior and therefore they must be placed in an inferior position. . .

Let us discard all these things and unite as one people throughout this land until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.

I went on a vain search of the sight where they had broken ground for the King Memorial. It is to be located on the tidal basin, about halfway between the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial, along Independence Avenue. Supposedly, there is a plaque currently at the site, but I can neither confirm nor deny this, since all I could find was a bum under a cherry tree.

Finally, in the TV Guide, I had seen that on Oprah Winfrey’s MLK Day Special she was going to be at the Lincoln Memorial, standing where King delivered his speech. However, since I’m normally at work when her show is on the air and have never seen her show, I had no idea that she tapes her show in advance until later in the day. So, when I was in the Lincoln Memorial’s bookstore, I unknowingly made an ass of myself by saying to the cashier, “What? no legions of Oprah fans here this morning?” I must have seemed like a complete mental patient! Why on Earth is some bundled up middle-aged guy coming into the Lincoln Memorial bookstore looking for Oprah Winfrey fans? She chuckled and wished me a good day.

Anyhow, the Reflecting Pool is currently drained for maintenance and in the picture on her website, regarding this episode, you can see a filled Pool in the background. Besides, she doesn’t look cold enough to have been there today.