Are We Memorialize Our Monuments

From Trajan’s Column, completed in 113 AD, to the statue of Christopher Columbus in Easton, Pennsylvania, monuments and memorials have been a significant element of celebration and honor throughout history (Source B). Though monuments are typically meant as a symbol of honor, recent controversy over statues dedicated to Confederate leaders and generals has sparked the debate over how to choose subjects to memorialize, and the actual development of these memorials. When considering what or who to honor, one must also consider the subjects impact on history, ensuring that it is positive. In creating memorials and monuments, groups and agencies should examine the historical significance of the events or persons they wish to memorialize, and the

The purpose of many monuments is to honor and protect the legacy of some of America's greatest heroes. Kirk Savage in the book Monument

If pictures are worth one million words then a 3-d picture which is a monument is worth one million stories. The purpose of monuments is to tell a story about an events therefore crital thinking adn efforts are placed into making monuments. Depending on where the monuemnt is located and how it is built including its pose and the material it is made up of, it helps the audience live in that moment with the monuments,making the monument and the sudience one.

Mount Rushmore, the Mall at Washington, and the Statue of Liberty are all monuments across the US. The location of these monuments is important and when one is going to build a monument the location matters. Monuments, as stated in Source A, are not necessarily built at the place of what it is memorializing, “typically it holds no relic or spiritual of a past presence.”

In order to build a monument, materials are needed and the size needs to be determined to figure out the amount of materials needed. Source G claims that materials are an important factor to consider in the creation of a monument. Maya Lin, the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C put an emphasis on materials in the creation of the monument. Lin used black granite to make the monument reflective and peaceful. The mirrored effect made the park look doubled in size, which made it appear as though there were two worlds to resemble the unity between the nation’s past and present. The use of carefully chosen materials and the illusion of size made the Vietnam Veterans Memorial convey an important message. Although I grant that materials and size are important factors to be considered in the creation of a monument, I still maintain that location is the most important factor to be considered in the creation of a monument. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was placed in a well-known beautiful park surrounded by trees, which is why many people were able to view and admire the monument. The location of the monument set its shape. The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Memorial were already at that location, which were both important aspects of the Vietnam Veterans Monument. Two walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial were placed so one pointed at the Lincoln Memorial and the other was pointed at the Washington Memorial. The link between these two strong symbols conveyed the message of unity between the nation’s past and present. The careful considerations about the monuments location allowed the monument to convey an important message that is viewed and admired by many. If the monument was placed in an obscure non-picturesque location, no one would be able marvel over the

In 1861 there was a war that turned north against south family against family. After their war the created monuments that represent the brave leaders that fought for what the believe in. Now there is controversy over if the monuments should be destroyed. This has created a titanic fight between tow sides one side is for the monuments being destroyed and the other side dose not want it to be destroyed. I believe that the monuments should not be destroyed. I believe they should not be destroyed because we need to remember our history. Finally is that it will not stop the violence.

Frank Wedekind, a German playwright, once said, “Monuments are for the living, not the dead.” When a monument is built you are not honoring the person who died, but instead, are telling their story and how they lived their life. There are about 700 confederate monuments in America, each monument tells a story. Confederate statues began being built around 1900 to disenfranchise African-Americans and formally segregate society. The Confederate statues symbolize the civil war, which was based on slavery. These statues are a clever way to animate slavery and racism. Confederate monuments should be taken down and should no longer be honored.

The location of a monument is an important factor that should be considered when building the monument. Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., said that “The two walls were positioned so that one pointed to the Lincoln Memorial and the other pointed to the Washington Monument” (Lin). The two walls essentially link the two symbols for the county to create unity between the past and present (Lin). By specifically

Accordingly, people raise monuments, create memorials, secure antiques, and fund museums to record and preserve the past events in a country. In accordance with the Merriam Webster dictionary, monuments are structures erected in commemoration of a distinguishable person or event. Nowhere in the definition it is stated that the matter in remembrance has to be praised or is considered a model for the society. As a matter of fact, they only portray people or events that should be remembered, no matter if they are regarded as admirable or detestable. Each and everyone of these objects should be maintained in public view to remind people of their past, especially those from the catastrophic Civil

When beginning the process of placing a monument/memorial there are many things to keep in mind when doing so; such as materials and location. Another thing to have in mind when constructing a monument is where it is located; placing it in an inappropriate spot will affect business, while possibly offending people at the same time. What is used to create a monument will determine its future, good or bad, so it is imperative to verify the information about the event/person being memorialized, as well as the appropriate materials used for the construction of the project. When it comes time to build and place a monument, it's crucial to always have in mind location and material, because in the end the artist always want the best response when memorializing an event/person .

Monuments are used honor achievement and respect people who have achieved great things. There are many factors that should be taken into consideration before creating a monument. Making sure you have the right amount of money needed to build and take care of a monument, the location that is being used to okay with people near it, and having a confirmed location so the monument doesn't have to be moved around so much are the most important factors to consider.

When you begin the process of placing a monument/memorial there are many things to keep in mind when doing so; such as, materials, size, and location. The size of a monument always matters because of what people will think. If people think that the monument is oversized, it could come off as obnoxious, and if they feel as if its too small people may be offended. Size is always very important. Another thing to have in mind when constructing a monument is where it is located; placing it in an inappropriate spot will affect the business, and it will more than likely also possibly offend people. What you put on a monument will determine its future, good or bad, so it is imperative to verify the information about the event/person being memorialized,

. . . [and] creates an actual, if temporary, community of readers” (Source A). Savage compares the impact of these monuments to religious sites, due to their long-lasting and profound cultural impact; however, it is worth noting that the monuments are not sacred due to their location or history, but rather the associations people create with them. Successful memorials create a noteworthy site, rather than being built on one, and their designers build their sites around them. The almost spiritual emotions are captured by the fine aspects of their designs; Maya Lin’s “unity between the past and present” was the central, abstract idea that lent her design success (Source G).

Location; where the monument is plays a big role in how effective a monument is in memorializing or honoring a person or moment. For instance Mount Rushmore, to the untrained eye, is four important men of the past on the side of a mountain, but it is actually quite more. “I have to admit: Mount Rushmore bothers me. It was bad enough that white men drove the Sioux from the hills they still hold sacred; did they have to carve faces all over them too?”(Source C). Source C is saying that the location of Mount Rushmore is disrespectful to the Sioux because that mountain is sacred to them, and the people who drove the Native Americans off the land have their faces on that