Mirza Jahic

7-22-03
HUMI 16
Pin # 2406
Maya Lin: A strong clear voice assignment
I cannot figure out what woul !e harer to !ear an li"e trough# !eing re$ecte
for %& iea or o'inion of the worl that I li"e in toa& or !eing gi"en a chance to actuall&
'ro"e an !uil %& architect 'iece( Ma&a )in wa* gi"en a chance li+e thi* an *he a* a
%atter of fact i go trough nu%erou* a%ount* of re$ection# o''re**ion# raci*t re%ar+*
an other col co%%ent* that ha"e !een uttere !& the o''re**ioni*t*(
,he -ietna% Me%orial wa* !uilt in the .on*titution /aren* in 0a*hington#
1(.(# through 'ri"ate onation* fro% the 'u!lic# an eicate in 1232( 4"en though the
%one& wa* there# there wa* *till a great ta*+ of choo*ing the 'erfect architect to !uil a
'iece that woul reflect an relate to all of U(5 6%erican* that ha"e fallen uring thi*
horri!le war(
Ma&a )in# an 6*ian-6%erican wa* con*iere to !e a horri!le choice for thi*
'articular ta*+ not !ecau*e of her lac+ of e7'erience !ut !ecau*e *he wa* 86*ian9( 5he
wa* *electe !ecau*e of her true feeling* towar* the %en an wo%en that were +ille or
MI6 uring thi* war( 5he e7're**e ee' e%otion* towar* the% an her e*ign or
're"iew of the actual 'iece wa* *i%'le &et full of wor* an a%aze%ent( 4"en though
there wa* a lot of contro"er*& li+e for e7a%'le a -ietna% "et %entione that thi* 'iece
loo+* li+e a giant !lac+ *car *la*he u'on the Unite 5tate*(
4"er& ti%e I loo+ at the -ietna% 0ar %e%orial I get a *en*e of relief that *ort of
flow* trough %& !o&( It i* a%azing how a architecte 'iece li+e thi* can ha"e *uch huge
influence on %e an e"en on ini"iual* *uch a* the "et* or other 'eo'le in"ol"e
irectl& or inirectl& to the war( 6 'iece li+e thi* i* *i%'l& a%azing !ecau*e the
*i%'licit& of the 'iece i* what gi"e* it character# %a+e* it *trong an carrie* it* %e**age
acro**# not the o!"iou* *ign* an 'la:ue* that are *u''o*e to *ignif& a certain
*o%ething# !ut that *o%ething can ne"er !e foun(
5i%'licit& i* +e& when ealing with a great a%ount of 'eo'le !ecau*e !eaut& i* in the
e&e* of the !eholer( ,he -ietna% 0ar Me%orial *ignifie* an carrie* ifferent %e**age*
for each an e"er& one of u*( ;or %e# e"en though it oe* not ha"e an&thing to o with
the -ietna% war# the %e%orial affecte %e on a le"el far !e&on an&!o& that i not
ha"e to go trough the thing* that I went trough( I loo+ at the li*t of na%e* an I a*+
%&*elf# wh&< 0h& i *o %an& innocent 'eo'le ha"e to ie !ecau*e the& were tr&ing to
're"ent a cau*e not worth& of e"en a !a %an=* life<
It=* a%azing how the go"ern%ent can 'er*uae 'eo'le or %a**e* to thin+ the wa&
that the& want the% to( ,he& are a!le to h&'notize the %en to go an ri*+ their li"e* an
!e 'rou of the fact that the& will ine"ita!l& lo*e their li"e* for one rea*on or other(
6nother great e*ign !& Ma&a )in wa* the .i"il >ight* Me%orial in
Montgo%er&# 6la!a%a that re%e%!er* the 'eo'le who *ha'e the *truggle for ci"il
right* in 6%erica( .on*tructe of !lac+ granite# a thin *trea% of water gentl& flow* o"er
the na%e* in*cri!e in the face of the %onu%ent( 6fter I *aw the actual 'iece on the
"ieo ta'e 'ro"ie !& Mr*( ?re*nan I thought to %&*elf that thi* i* *i%'l& a%azing(
How an arti*t can gi"e her*elf to a certain architect 'iece *i%ilar to thi*( Ma&a )in i*
willing to go a 100@ an !e&on to infor% her*elf# to 'reict an to e%'ha*ize %e%or&
an the !eaut& that lie* within it# the con:uere 'a*t a* I li+e to call it( 5he i* con*tantl&
tr&ing to o'en the gate* of true 'er*'ecti"e on the *ituation* that ini"iual* ha to li"e
trough with nothing in future !ut %ore *uffering an 'ain( 5he greatl& 'ortra&* thi* in
e"er& one of her architect 'iece*(

,he *ignificance of the -ietna% 0ar Me%orial an an& %e%orial that Ma&a )in
wa* re*'on*i!le for i* that it i* in it* *i%'le*t for%( ,he *i%'licit& of the*e %e%orial* i*
what %atter* the %o*t( 5he carrie thi* o"er into her other wor+* li+e for e7a%'le the
8,o'ogra'hic )an*ca'e9# 86"alanche9# 80a"e fiel9 an of cour*e the 8-ietna% 0ar
Me%orial9( Ma&a )in i* trul& a hero in the e&e* of e"er& *olier ali"e or ea# e"er&
6frican 6%erican that *truggle for hi* or her right*# e"er& hu%an !eing that e"er fought
for *o%ething that i* righteou*l& their* not !& an& law !ut !& the coe of hu%anit&# the
coe that e"er&one of u* i* %eant to li"e life !& accoring to their *tanar* an not !&
an&!oie* rule*# *egregation* or coe*# !ut *i%'l& !ecau*e e"er&one of u* i* the *a%e
within# we are all hu%an an Ma&a )in greatl& 'ortra&* thi* in e"er& one of her architect
'iece* !& *i%'l& *a&ing we are all one an !& *a&ing 're*er"e the %e%or& of the fallen
an lo"e one* !ecau*e the future lie* in the 'a*t# not the 're*ent(