City of Compromise
by Jimmy King (Fall 2016)
Walking down Florida Avenue and the U Street area of Washington, you might feel as though you’re in a Deep South suburb. But in a 10-minute ride towards K Street, you’re right back in the concrete and glass, allegedly “soulless”, Washington that most Americans think of when conceptualizing their Capitol.
It seemed interesting that while here in D.C., a lot of the rapid development and gentrification that we’re seeing in cities across the country is very present here. High-rises are going up, and many people and communities that have long-resided in D.C. see higher and higher rent.
D.C. also conveys that it is an international capitol, if not the international capitol. The wide array of languages that can be heard on the National Mall and near every monument highlights that D.C. attracts people from around the globe. The array of people that live in and visit D.C. make the city live up to its role as an international hub.
Pieces of the Berlin Wall complete with graffiti art, at the Newseum.
The significance of politics in D.C. is never far out of sight, as the Washington Monument makes itself visible from most parts of the city. It was very clear that every profession in this city, no matter the field or how experienced you are, is somehow linked to politics and government. The iconic buildings that house the Supreme Court, Congress and the President seem larger in person than you could imagine. Being present in those buildings, and knowing the thousands that have visited and worked in them in the past, all the accomplishments that have been made there, all the nefarious activities, and all the shenanigans, is really humbling.
One of the moments of this semester that drove home a part of D.C.’s history was when we went to the Florida Ave. Grill, and saw the southern-style buildings that dominated the neighborhood. At one point in time, this was chosen as a compromise location, positioned perfectly in between the northern and southern states as our country’s leaders argued about where future leaders should argue for generations to come.
And sometimes, you can see the divisions that exist in our country in D.C. itself. The protests that broke out after Trump’s election to the White House, as people chanted “Not my President”, rang throughout the city and echoed many people’s thoughts in metropolitan cities across the country. It says a lot about the country that people are able to freely protest the President in his own backyard- in fact, it was probably one of the most popular places to protest him. The political activity that exists in D.C. is always there, but you can see it explode when ignited by an event like Donald Trump’s election.
A woman protests President-elect Trump outside Trump International Hotel.
The political activism that you can see throughout D.C. might not mean that the city is brimming with integrity or is without fault, but it certainly does show that a decent number of people believe in the American idea. So many people dedicate their lives to running the country here and are passionate about doing it, and you can see that in every part of the city.
Jimmy is a Senior majoring in Political Science, and interned at ABC News.
