November 14, 2007
Capitol Visitor Center Room Named Emancipation Hall
The interminably delayed Capitol Visitor Center took one small step toward becoming a reality yesterday, as the AP reports that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to name the largest room in the new center Emancipation Hall. The room would be named in honor of the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol.
The House passed the bill 398-6 on Tuesday. The U.S. Senate will now consider the bill, which is unlikely to be defeated there.
Honoring the slaves who helped to build the Capitol is a great idea, of course. But we'd also love to see some other part of the building named as a monument to the government efficiency that has brought about the new Capitol Visitor Center with such speed and economy. Perhaps there's a 2nd floor bathroom that can be named Bureaucracy Hall? Anyone have a better idea?
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How is naming a $573,000,000 boondogle "honoring" anything, except maybe Congress' ability to pee in the taxpayers face and tell them it's raining?
In case anyone wondered, these are the lawmakers who voted against the name:
Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.)
Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.)
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas)
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.)
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.)
I think that is a horrible name. I would rather they name it after one person who symbolizes a movement or idea. Fredrick Douglas Hall has a nice ring to it.
>I think that is a horrible name.
+1.
The slaves that built the Capitol weren't emancipated. How does this name honor them specifically?
Why not just call it the OMFGUSASUX!!!1!! Center?
Yeah, this proposal is one of those that only the most shameless dicks will stand in the way of, despite the fact that it's a pretty lame name.
Maybe some Senator will complain about the name being given to an underground hall which currently sits underneath a huge parking lot (is that monstrosity going to stay? It's pretty awful).
Oh and Monkey, don't ask how I know this, but happy birthday.
Thanks Reid. Hope you got a chance to burn me in effigy.
"Emancipation Hall" sounds like a nice way of honoring the slaves who built the Capitol... while at the same time whitewashing over the whole ugly story. "Emancipation" sounds happy and inspirational, but it's not like they're doing anything to educate people about how the Capitol was built with slave labor or about what slavery in our country was like.
>it's not like they're doing anything to educate people about how the Capitol was built with slave labor or about what slavery in our country was like.
Nor should they.
I assume Congress will name the performance hall after the late Sonny Bono.
Wonder why the people who voted against the name did so? Because it's a lame name, or what? I know Mica in particular is passionate about the Visitor Center, so it would be nice to know what they were thinking.
i can only guess that lynn westmoreland voted against it because he likes being contrarian and is the 4th largest douchebag in the known universe.
Awesome idea, Mike Licht!
LONG LIVE SONNY BONO PERFORMING HALL!!!!!