Hallowed Ground

                                          photo credit: Ryn

10:00 a.m. 10.01.10
Gettysburg, PA

I was in Gettysburg this morning at the historic Majestic Theater to hear a live broadcast of WITF's "Smart Talk."  The topic today was about what we consider hallowed ground.  Very intriguing stuff.  The conversation covered the recent controversey surrounding the proposed casino to be built near battlefield sites in Gettysburg.  It also focused on Ground Zero and the Muslim community center to be built closeby.
The panel discussed that there is sometimes an aura to a place that cannot be defined by zones or boundaries...  That there is sometimes a spirit that is in a place that needs to be preserved, not just land.  Ultimatelty, people collectively choose what is hallowed based on a common historic narrative.  And, these narratives make us all who we are and these places need to be preserved for generations to come.
You can listen to the Smart Talk broadcast about hallowed ground here.

I know when I am out there in the Gettysburg battlefields, there is a spirit there that is truly moving.  It is the wind whipping eerily across the fields, the trees that witnessed those horrendous days in July that are still standing, and the monuments that mark what was done there... we are removed from this event on the timeline of history, but it is a common narrative we need to cherish.
    .ryn