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Four years ago my husband Les and I were planning a trip to Washington DC. The world was still reeling from the shock election of Donald J Trump as the 45th President of the United States having beaten Hillary Clinton in the electoral college vote, but not the popular vote
Four years ago my husband Les and I were planning a trip to Washington DC. The world was still reeling from the shock election of Donald J Trump as the 45th President of the United States having beaten Hillary Clinton in the electoral college vote, but not the popular vote
Our trip was two fold - to meet up with Seattle friends but also to visit the National Museum of American History to see a piece of Scottish American history that I hoped might make a journey back to Scotland as a centre piece for Islay’s centenary commemorations for World War 1
In February 1918 a British troopship carrying American soldiers bound for the battle fields of mainland Europe was fatally torpedoed by a German submarine in the stretch of sea between Islay and Ireland.
Over 150 young men were washed up on Islay’s shores many of them had sadly perished. The Islay community treated these men with love and dignity, and held funeral services for those who had died.
Four Islay woman sewed a Stars & Stripes overnight before the first of these. The flag was carried at each of the funeral services by an American survivor. The flag was gifted by the island to President Woodrow Wilson, who in turn gifted it to the Smithsonian Institution.
It was this flag I hoped to bring back to Islay.
Our Seattle friends had a surprise for us. They had organised a visit to the Capitol through their Democratic Senator, Patty Murray.
Our Seattle friends had a surprise for us. They had organised a visit to the Capitol through their Democratic Senator, Patty Murray.
We sat in the gallery of the Senate and watched a Californian Senator, make a passionate speech about the importance of Obamacare. It was Kamala Harris. She was immense, she spoke from the heart. Les and I looked at each other - the first woman President we wondered?
The privilege I felt watching democracy unfold, in a building that is such an emblem of it, was powerful. But in the background was the constant chatter of how things might be shaken up with Trump in the White House.
The reason for Kamala Harris’s speech was that Trump wanted to rescind Obamacare. It didn’t happen that day, but eventually the Republicans got the votes. A piece of legislation that aimed to provide a health care safety net for those who did not have insurance was overturned.
Last week we couldn't believe what we were watching, a march on democracy instigated by the outgoing President. Watching the crowds storm the Capitol was unsettling.
These were areas we had walked through, chambers we had sat in, paintings and statues we had gazed at. We were in awe, and felt so privileged to be in the seat of decision making in the world's biggest democracy.
We had witnessed the confirmation vote for the US Ambassador to Israel in the Senate.
The difference in how the Democrat senators interacted with each other compared to the Republicans, they were more collegiate and supportive, where as the Republicans seemed like carbon copies of each other - pale, male and stale.
It was notable that Ted Cruz entered the chamber on his own, voted on his own, left on his own - spoke to no-one. To see him in the agitator/Trump pleaser role last week was interesting.
The 100 year old flag did return to Islay, it is on display at the Museum of Islay Life. It is an emblem of the respect and friendship between a Scottish island and bereaved families across the United States.
Today I watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hoping for a return to that respect and friendship.
