GOOSE POND AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Shortly after Memorial Day, we joined two other couples for a week at a rented house on the island of Chincoteague, Virginia. Our beach time was followed by several days in Old Town Alexandria, VA to take in a famous historical site and a new exhibit on democracy at the American Museum of History in Washington D.C.

This was the fourth year that six of us, including my brother and high school friend along with our spouses, gathered before the “high-season” to enjoy the many pleasures of Chincoteague and its companion wildlife refuge.

The weather, wildlife, and famous ponies were cooperative, and the oysters were still in season. We quickly stopped trying to get the television streaming services to work and were content going to the beach, painting with watercolors, reading novels, and enjoying nature. Not even the Trump guilty verdict had me eager to find comments from political talking heads.

The unique bonus at this year’s rental property was a small body of fresh water in the backyard that we affectionately called Goose Pond. We soon learned that many varieties of waterfowl came to the pond to drink. Flocks of ibis, ducks, terns, seagulls, egrets, herons, and of course, geese entertained us all day. The area surrounding the pond also supported a wide variety of songbirds native to the Eastern seaboard.

There appeared to be an avian understanding of which species would drink at what hour that operated like clockwork. We came to appreciate the complex social hierarchies of the various birds as they assembled and enjoyed the fresh water. In a comical parade early each morning and again at dusk, the resident flock of geese would march single file from the nearby bay to the pond. If only Congress were so well organized.

After dark, Goose Pond offered up an amazing second act. Many varieties of amphibians would serenade us from the pond, the surrounding marsh and from around the house. The chorus would rise to a deafening crescendo only to drop to complete silence for a minute before repeating.

At the end of our rental, my wife and I headed for Old Alexandria and the Smithsonian museums offered at the nation’s capital. Mt. Vernon was only minutes from our hotel. Because I had never viewed George Washington’s plantation overlooking the Potomac River and my wife had not been there in forty years, we decided to stop.

On a hot and sultry afternoon, we got in line with hundreds of schoolchildren to tour the mansion and surrounding grounds. Mt. Vernon is the perfect example of the paradox facing early American democracy that continues to affect us today. On one hand, the father of our country was the ideal role model for a new experiment in representative democracy. He refused a lifetime appointment as president and after two terms in office rushed back to his beloved Mt. Vernon. On the other hand, over 300 slaves who were denied the most basic of human freedoms supported his self-contained plantation, consisting of 8,000 acres divided into five farms, plus a gristmill and distillery.

The next morning, we scheduled an Uber to the entrance of the National Museum of American History to take in a new exhibition entitled “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith.” It was clear to us that the display, through text and artifacts, was timed to coincide with the upcoming divisive national election.

In the words of the museum director, the goal was to make clear that “American democracy are the two words at the center of what it means to be an American.” Throughout the presentation, the museum curators point out the irony that a diverse people could develop shared values to build the greatest nation on earth.  The exhibition gives the history of citizen participation, debate, and compromise from the nation’s formation until today.

The exhibition is divided into five sections. First is a review of the “great leap” it took for eighteenth century colonists to declare themselves independent from Great Britain. Second is the cornerstone of our representative democracy, the history of voting in America. Third is an explanation of the unique American machinery of democracy. This portion includes methods to entice people to the polls and systems to ensure accurate vote counts. The fourth area focuses on the direct involvement of citizens in government including the right to petition, lobby, and protest. Last is the history of the American melting pot and the path to citizenship.

Throughout the exhibition, no political party or ideology is favored over another. The arc of American history has produced many significant movements. Each is represented and given its due. While the disagreements were many and sometimes violent, each chapter is depicted as another brick in the wall, important in building American democracy. The mission “is to help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future.”

The museum encourages each visitor to leave the exhibition with an understanding of how American democracy has developed. It asks each of us to consider “how our history helps to explain today’s contentious political climate, and how we can come together as a people.”

For those seeking a positive experience to counterbalance a summer full of divisive politics, this exhibition (or a trip to Goose Pond) may offer some relief. A companion book is available through the museum bookstore or on Amazon.