The Lincoln Memorial has been a revered American monument, since 1922. Magnificent moments in history have taken place in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It was at The Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King Junior gave his, "I have a dream" speech. The massive monument is a symbol of all that is America. It is a landmark that reminds people daily of the importance of freedom and of unity. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the monument was vandalized with explicit graffiti.
The vandalism
According to Fox News, the graffiti was discovered at around 4.30 a.m.
on Tuesday morning. The National Park Service (NPS) has told the press that a column was found sprayed with red spray paint. It seems that the graffiti said, " [expletive] law." At present, the NPS is asking that anyone with information about the incident, please come forward. This is the second time that such vandalism has been found in the area recently. According to ABC News, a sign in Constitution Avenue, giving directions to the Smithsonian, was also found covered in silver spray paint.
The NPS have assured the media and the public that this graffiti will soon be removed. A gel-like, architectural paint stripper will be used with water to remove the spray paint. It is said that this will have no long-term effects on the preservation of the monument.
At present, no one knows who the vandal is or what their reason for the graffiti is.
Similar instances
On Tuesday, a Confederate Statue was pulled down in Durham, during a protest against the violence in Virginia over the weekend. According to ABC News, the Lincoln Memorial was also vandalized in July 2016. In this instance, green paint was splashed all over Lincoln's leg.
In another instance in February 2017, marker scribblings were found all over the monument. These scribblings seemed to be some sort of conspiracy theories as they spoke about Jackie being responsible for JFK's death and they seemed to claim that HIV/AIDS is simply a story used to control people.
The National Park Service has told the public that this is not the first time that such vandalism has been found and that the matter will be dealt with shortly.
It is important that people find other ways to express their feelings. Historical monuments are an important part of American culture, and it is imperative that they are treated as such. The Lincoln Memorial especially should be used as a symbol of American unity and freedom.
If anyone has information on this incident, please contact the United States Park Police by calling 202-610-7515.
