I went and saw the Vietnam wall this weekend. All along the bottom of the wall are tokens of affection and remembrance left by the families and friends of those whose names appear on the wall. Before going to see this memorial I was told I would be moved emotionally by the power it carries with it. After viewing the wall, tokens, and people around me I felt nothing whatsoever. This made me wonder if it was natural for me to feel nothing in the presence of such a supposedly awe-inspiring event. Looking back at the names it became obvious to me: they were just names, nothing more. I did not see suffering. I did not see sacrifice for my freedoms. I saw over 50,000 names on a wall. If I were to view the actual wall in Washington, would I have felt differently? I doubt it would influence me anymore then the mobile memorial. The way I perceive the world may be slightly different then the majority of Americans but as an individual I’m too distanced from the event to feel emotionally about it in any way. The work of art is unimpressive and is lacking in emotional impact.
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