Back at the hotel after the most emotional day thus far. Our final morning session featured speakers Steve Bell, Sam Donaldson, and 6 former Congressmen from both the house and the senate. Steve Bell’s speech focused, once again, on the role of the media and their involvement in the 2008 presidential campaign. Donaldson, of ABC News, followed. He delved into the interworkings of Washington, talking primarily about the legislative branch having the most power in our government system. This part was then followed by a Congressional Panel made up of Senators and Representatives from 6 different states, addressing issues ranging from the war in Iraq to crossing party lines, guarding one’s integrity to the food and energy crisis, and from the economy to internationl affairs.
In the afternoon, we headed over to the recently renovated Smithsonian. While all of the exhibits I saw were spectacular, the military one was by all means the one that hit home the hardest. In one room there were two massive blocks, remnants of the Berlin Wall. But as I turned into the next room, my heart fell into my stomach because in the room were remnants of the steel columns from the 7oth floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. I know people who lost loved ones on September 11th, so the second I saw these columns, my insides were ripped apart just as they had 7 years ago. While the pictures are moving, the emotions can only truly be felt when you’re a foot and a half away from a scrap of metal that represents so much.
