Korean War Veterans Memorial

Freedom is not free.

That's not a partisan slogan to support a controversial war.  They are the words inscribed on a granite wall that is part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  They are the simple fact that remained when the conflict was over and American lives lost were finally remembered in a national memorial in Washington D.C.

It moves me in these election days, when tempers flare and differences sever our united front to an almost irrepairable degree, that sometimes we have been able to come together and accomplish something great.

The Korean War Veteran's Memorial took years to accomplish.  Its position was debated and argued over.  Its significance fought for and its right to stand in a place of prominence among other historical treasures, a heated cause.  But it happened.  It was beautifully designed with great meaning poured into every detail.  It was built over a three-year period and finally dedicated in 1995.  And the family members of those it represents, rejoiced.

Educational tours were made for lessons like these.  Not just lessons in history, but in the spirit of America that struggles and argues its way through troubling times but stands together in the end.  Not just in government, but in the principles behind our government and the power of the people we've been so freely given.

Washington D.C. is the perfect environment for educational tours.  And the war memorials that grace its mall are the perfect backdrop for learning.