(Keystone, South Dakota)
I have wanted to go to Mount Rushmore since I was a little kid. Somehow, covering campaign 2008 made it seem like a "must stop" as I crisscross America. The fact that South Dakota, along with Montana, holds its final primary Tuesday helped make my wish come true. Apparently lots of others had the same idea. The presidential race was the talk of the large crowd which came to see the oversized presidents of the past!
The Pelton family was visiting from Colorado Springs. Bradford is an attorney, who came here with his wife Jenny and their ten-year-old daughter Amy. They were simply awestruck. "When we first drove by, I almost started to cry," said Jenny. "It's really cool."
I asked Bradford for his reflections as one in the legal profession, given that the four presidents depicted were so instrumental in shaping this country's Constitution and legal system. "If you think about why, and how, and how long, and how well it has worked in spite of overwhelming opportunities for it to go bad - including the Civil War - it is truly inspiring," said Bradford Pelton.
I did not intend to ask people here for whom they are voting; I was more curious about their reflections on what this monument represents amid the current campaign. "There seems to be a fundamental disconnect between what these guys intended, and what we're hearing today," Bradford says. "But because of this (what the monument represents), we will survive." His daughter Amy volunteers that she wants Barack Obama to win. "That's because his name sounds cool," she says. I recall that I had a similar opinion of the name "Spiro Agnew" when I was ten, and they laugh.
The next four people I spoke with were quite spirited, to say the least! Beverly Smith was here with her husband Ron, and they were joined by Pat Pierson and her husband Park. The couples are senior citizens from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When I mentioned that I was a reporter, they did not hold back.
Beverly Smith launched a harsh criticism of the Electoral College system. "Why do we vote if someone else is going to choose the president?" she wonders. Pat Pierson looked up at the monument and pondered, "In light of this, I don't think we have presidents with this much character nowadays." She is not a fan of Hillary Clinton. "I don't have a problem with a woman president," she says. "I just have a problem with Hillary." Then her husband Park chimed in, saying, "Obama hasn't said much." Ron Smith bemoaned what he felt was a lack of good choices. "Anyone any good is a CEO," he said. The four kept up a lively debate for quite some time after I bid them farewell.
Another couple I met at Mount Rushmore were Terry and Christina Townsend, from Seattle. Both served in the military; and they were driving from Tennessee to Washington, when they decided to visit Mount Rushmore. He is African-American; she is Filipino and awaiting her U.S. citizenship. Both are fascinated with the current campaign, and Mount Rushmore only fueled the discussion. "If you think about it, it's possible to have the first black president or the first female president," said Christina. "It's history."
Terry, who served in the Marines, was reflective, too. "To me, I am just curious to see how America adjusts to whoever wins," Terry says. "How will people accept it? Is it going to pull us together, or tear us apart? It's interesting." Christina laments that she won't be able to vote, since she is not a citizen yet. Despite this, she serves in the U.S. Army, including duty in Iraq. It seems ironic and, perhaps, quite unfair, as we stand before the Mt. Rushmore monument.
I was spellbound at Mount Rushmore. A man I met in Rapid City urged me to go in time for the night time ceremony and the lighting of the monument after dark. It was a stunning tribute I will never forget. The best part was that veterans in the audience were invited on stage for the retiring of the colors. Each was asked his name and branch of service as he touched the flag that was folded thirteen times in the shape of a triangle. The crowd erupted in applause after the final veteran spoke. We were also treated to all four stanzas of "The Star Spangled Banner." Since we rarely hear them all, they are worth looking up on the Internet and reading. President Teddy Roosevelt was the "Father of the National Park System," along with his good friend John Muir. Looking down from the mountain tonight, T.R. must have been proud of a job well done!
I will be "live" on KPFA-FM 94.1 at 7:05 tomorrow, as I continue my coverage of the final primaries of 2008. Check back often at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.
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