" What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task" President Barack Obama, inauguration speech, Jan 20, 2009
My request to be nominated the next US Ambassador to France and to work (1) on improving the United States’ national interests and on World Peace (in conformity with the State Department’s mission statement and our founding father’s intent), is all the more animated by historic meaningfulness that I have not only campaigned in the 2008 gubernatorial race of Washington State on most of the Barack Obama themes, (2) but also on new ones, including on the edification of a Statue of Civic Responsibility, a cherished and timely project, which could help to usher in and consolidate an Era of Responsiblity via sustainability and a holistically based spiritual civilization. (3)
To this end, there is enough evidence to suggest that I could also find joint financing and technical assistance in France and most probably in Europe, in Asia and in the U.S as well, finances that would be consecrated to the Edification of this grand Statue of Civic Responsibility, its Park and related activities, which would herald President Obama’s new era. And linked to this Statue, could mushroom "human rights and responsability lighthouse centers" in as many towns as reachable.
Among other pieces of evidence, we have today’s popular French foreign affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, who enthusiastically supported my human rights effort when I worked at Gonzaga Law School.
"I received your documentation and letter relative to the creation of an international institute of human rights at Gonzaga law school. I give my moral support to this enterprise..." Dr Bernard Kouchner. Humanitarian and Health Minister of President Mitterand's French government and today’s French Foreign Minister under the Sarkozy Government).
As U.S. Ambassador to France (and with President Obama’s permission and Secretary of State Clinton’s consent), one of the first duties I would get done would be to request a meeting with Bernard Kouchner to see to what extent the Sarkozy Government can contribute financially and technically in the edification of the proposed Civic Responsibility Statue.
ON JOINT ART PROJECTS, HISTORY CAN REPEAT ITSELF
Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds.
Today, how would such a colossal Statue project be finance ? Among other sources, we have the French passion for Art. Convincing the French Government to take some funds from Sarkozy’s overly ambitious military strategy Plan (See the analysis of this plan) to place in this Statue project would have multiple advantages, including, but not limited to better serving Peace building and Franco-American reconciliation, from the grassroots up. There would be many other sources, both public and private, French and European. I am eager to speak about this issue with President Nicolas Sarkozy and-or his Secretary of State.
A CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY STATUE, AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME
That this Statue is a formidable and historically desirable project in itself is established by the weight of History and President Obama's inauguration Speech on our "Responsibility Era".
" What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task" President Barack Obama, inauguration speech, Jan 20, 2009
And on the President's fondness for art.
"Our nation's creativity has filled the world's libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books -- Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope -- Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression." (The President's Agenda)
During the gubernatorial contest, I tried to capture this reality via the following description:
“THEREFORE, as a Gift to the State, to the Nation and to the International Community, (and a source of additional tourism dollars to pay for the "affordable housing erga omnes" project), my final proposed executive order will be on the Edification of a Statue on the proposed Alki island close to Elliot Bay, to be facing the French gifted "Statue of Liberty", a Statue which will mobililize the volunteer and creative energies of all artists, architects, engineers and People of good and strong faith, a Statue which will be made with "green" bio-material and the most sophisticated laser, optical fiber and computer technology, a Statue which will shine in permanence like the Stars in Heaven, a Statue which has been missing for too long, a Statue which will complete the Queen of Human Liberty one in New York City, the one the terrorists missed, a Statue which will be called, the Washingtonian Statue of Humanity, the Statue of the King of human freedoms, the Statue of Human Civic Responsibility, the Statue-Throne of enlightened humanism, a Beacon which will remind us that our fundamental freedoms can only be guaranteed if we also exercise our basic duties. And this process starts with our Voting duties”.
(Written in July 2008, for the entire text and on the building modality, please see my website: http://www.christianforgovernor2008.com/statueproject.html).
Thus, from the enlightening French gifted 19th century Statue of Liberty:
To the French-built 20th century magnificent Statue of Christ the Redeemer (4) ,
To other Conscience "mobilizing" symbols, like the Sun Goddess of ancient Egypt.
This above inserted solar "Deity" or Sun Goddess represents the sun, or an aspect of it. People have worshiped these for all of recorded history. Hence, many beliefs have formed around this worship, such as the "missing sun" found in many cultures (see below). Sun worship is a possible origin of henotheism and ultimately monotheism.
We could today find a similarly imposing and mobilizing symbol for our Time.
In this perspective, a panel of expert via international competition would have to determine which 21th century artistic symbol would correspond the best to the challenges of today and in light of what is meant by "civic responsibility".
Symbolic plants (like a huge red wood tree built with biomaterial and being 300 feet high) or symbolic animals could be candidates. Like the Dove below.
Doves have often represented the "mobilizing" energies of Peace building, an element of "civic responsibility". A hundred foot tall dove could be placed on an imposing podium, similarly to the Statue of Liberty.
Or the Lion. Many cultures have represented the element of "courage" of civic responsibility via the Lion.
Whatever symbol is chosen, it would have to be imposing, built from bio-material and high tech and being higher than the Statue of Liberty and Seattle's Space needle, maybe 300 feet high (with the pedestal which could be a great conference hall for human rights and duties events). Planes, Spaces vehicles and Ships should be able to view this symbol from afar. See the proposed criteria via another link.
Today, with a grandiose and universal "Responsibility" Statue, the best of human endeavors would be enshrined, we, Americans, the World, this decade could greatly benefit from this timely, inspiring, and universal message of “Civic Responsibility”, a statue which has the potential to become the 8th wonder of the World, to mobilize men and women of good will to make deserts bloom, sustainable villages sing and holistic health a priority for all. A powerful symbol of Democracy, Sustainability, Courage, Peace making, Tree planting, Compassion, Public Health, Duty, Unity and World Peace.
HISTORY SHOWS THAT ALL GREAT ERAS HAVE BEEN ENSHRINED WITH GREAT ART
Almost all great leaders of the past have never forgotten the importance of ambitious Art projects in Politics. If only because Art unites, whereas Science tends to divide.
President François Mitterand built Paris' "Pyramid", Napoléon built Statues in Egypt and France, Louis XIV built Versailles and its sumptuous gardens and Loire River chateaux(s), Kennedy and Roosevelt (and his cousin and wife Eleanor) also endeavored in this realm while the robust George Washington also had great ambitions and profound ideas on art, education and architecture, many of which were presented to him by French persons, from Pierre Charles L’Enfant (who was responsible for designing the civic and political heart of Washington D.C., (5) to dear Lafayette, (6) all of whom responded to Tom Paine’s profound artistic intuition and appeal.
“ We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the recent one, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand”. (Thomas Paine, February 14, 1776)
CONCLUSION
Networking to organize Humanity to be more civically responsible via some form of mobilizing Artistic symbol that corresponds to our Times would be a worthwhile "future generation" investment project.
This Statue could be built on the West Coast of the U.S, possibly in the Seattle area, Alki island for example. The President and-or Congress should decide. We could organize artists and engineers competitions so as to find the most awesome Statue design. For the proposed modality, please click on this sentence.
In the face of President Obama’s Freedom Agenda, the French have the potential and the means to be again grateful and instrumental insofar as partially financing this Statue of "Civic Responsibility", as they did with the Statue of Liberty. Given President Obama's success, the other countries in Europe could also participate. As well as any other concerned Nation. The spreading of the universal message of human rights and duties feeds the Spirit of the Law, the Life of Democracy and the substance of a Sustainable Holistic Civilization. Moreoer, this "Civic Responsibility Statue and Park" could be a Spiritual attraction like Lourdes in Central Pyrénées or the Redeemer in Janeiro. Which would invite a new Era of Responsibility and Spirituality.
FOOTNOTE
(4). The statue of Christ, the Redeemer is the main symbol of Rio de Janeiro. The immense Jesus statue is over 70 years old, 30 meters (98 ft.) high and the view from the Corcovado mountain (710m (2,329 ft.)) is one of the most beautiful views on the planet. The Corcovado mountain is situated on the Carioca Mountain Range and constitutes part of the Tijuca National Park. The project of this statue was initiated by the Church in 1921 via an International context. It became one of the world’s seventh “wonders”.
(5). Today's Washington, D.C. owes much of its unique design to Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who came to America from France to fight in the Revolutionary War and rose from obscurity to become a trusted city planner for George Washington. L'Enfant designed the city from scratch, envisioning a grand capital of wide avenues, public squares and inspiring buildings in what was then a district of hills, forests, marshes and plantations. The centerpiece of L'Enfant's plan was a great "public walk." Today's National Mall is a wide, straight strip of grass and trees that stretches for two miles, from Capitol Hill to the Potomac River. Smithsonian museums flank both sides and war memorials are embedded among the famous monuments to Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. (Washington D.C. was established in 1790 when an act of Congress authorized a federal district along the Potomac River). Washington asked L'Enfant, by then an established architect, to survey the area and recommend locations for buildings and streets. The Frenchman arrived in Georgetown on a rainy night in March 1791 and immediately got to work. L'Enfant went beyond a simple survey and envisioned a city where important buildings would occupy strategic places based on changes in elevation and the contours of waterways. While Thomas Jefferson had already sketched out a small and simple federal town, L'Enfant reported back to the president with a much more ambitious plan. For many, the thought of a metropolis rising out of a rural area seemed impractical for a fledgling nation, but L'Enfant won over an important ally. "Everything he said, a lot of people would have found it crazy back then, but Washington didn't. And Washington was right. His design was based on European models translated to American ideals. The entire city was built around the idea that every citizen was equally important. The Mall was designed as open to all comers, animated by the egalitarian ideal. L'Enfant placed Congress on a high point with a commanding view of the Potomac, instead of reserving the grandest spot for the leader's palace as was customary in Europe. Capitol Hill became the center of the city from which diagonal avenues named after the states radiated, cutting across a grid street system. Art at its best. Except that L’Enfant forgot to build a “Civic Responsibility Statue”. This may have been the missing element in the American Republic. For the entire Story of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, see “ A Brief History of Pierre L’Enfant and Washington, D.C. How one Frenchman’s vision became our capital city ”, by Kenneth R. Fletcher (Smithsonian.com, May 01, 2008) via the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/brief-history-of-lenfant.html
(6). http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0904/p13s01-bogn.html. In Lafayette Park, Lafayette’s statue states that the world relied on America to "stand a lesson to oppressors, an example to the oppressed, [and] a sanctuary for the rights of mankind.": Besides becoming Washington’s best friend, Lafayette served as an effective general for the American side and helped convince the French king to provide financial help to the needy Americans. It was ultimately a bad decision for the king, whose largess led to bankruptcy and ultimately sent heads rolling, including his own. But Lafayette's love affair with the US (he was fond of its "youth and majesty") helped ignite mutual admiration between the two countries).
ON THE PIECE OF ART ON THE SIDES OF THIS WEBPAGE:
The year was 1787. The place: the State House in Philadelphia, the same location where the Declaration of Independence had been signed 11 years earlier. For four months, 55 delegates from the several states met to frame a Constitution for a federal republic that would last into "remote futurity."
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the recent one, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand” Thomas Paine, February 14, 1776
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