Two very different sides of the same coin

Here we are on the outskirts of Atlanta reflecting on one of our best days of the trip. We slept in a bit in Montgomery before getting up and exploring a couple of places in Montgomery. First of all, our apologies to the country western fans out there but the Hank Williams memorial was not one of them. We were very close to that 'sacred ground', but instead we chose to visit two VERY different places that happened to be on the same street in Montgomery. The first place we visited was the Civil Rights Memorial. This memorial was designed by Maya Lin who is famous for designing the Vietnam Memorial. Like the Vietnam memorial it is made from polished granite. It was also designed to be touched and experienced not just looked at. It is a granite table with a fountain that pushes water across it. It was inspired by the MLK quote "We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." On the granite are the names and causes of death of the many martyrs who gave their life in the name of tolerance and equality. Inside the memorial were plaques that told the stories of each of the martyrs listed on the memorial. There was also a short film that told many of their stories. Mindy and I were moved to tears as many of the stories were so tragic and sad. It is a real shame, but today some people see tolerance as a compromise of their belief system. This memorial really does an amazing job of showing what hate, fear, discrimination, and lack of tolerance leads to.






Granite table showing names of martyrs.


MLK's quote memorial was inspired by.


Inside the museum.



The Wall of Tolerance. You can put your name on the wall by pledging to promote tolerance and justice for all people.

A short video showing the wall of Tolerance in motion.

The memorial was a great emotional experience. It really sparked some great family discussions as well. After the memorial it was time to head down the street to the opposite end of the spectrum...The First Confederate White House. Upon walking in we were greeted by a man who thoroughly enjoys his job of welcoming visitors. He was wearing traditional garments from the mid 1800's and gave us a brief introduction to the premises. We were then given a self guided tour booklet and freed to explore. The house was setup as closely as possible to the way it looked when the Davis family lived there.

Meant to get a picture but got this 1 second clip instead.


The daughter of the Confederacy.


Mr. Davis behind a cotton plant.


The sitting room setup as the Davis family had it arranged.

The first white house was temporary and was rented from a planter who used it when he came to Montgomery to sell his crops. It is a 6000 square foot mansion with 12 rooms, a kitchen, four fireplaces and no bathrooms. After Virginia seceded the capitol was moved to Richmond.

It was very strange going from one extreme to another in our site-seeing, but a lot of fun. After leaving we stopped for dinner at the Cracker Barrel. It was the first time for everyone in the family but me. The biggest challenge was choosing our three sides that come with the main course. I recommend the fried apples as they are very good. Everyone enjoyed their meal.




I think Chelsea was hungry.



?????



Major ham as usual.



Mug shot at the cracker barrel.

After lunch we headed on to Atlanta. We are getting close to the east coast. Can't wait for the 4th of July in Williamsburg.

Location:Mt Olive Rd,McDonough,United States