White House Demolition - The Destruction of U.S. History

 By Mildred Robertson

U.S. White House East Wing Demolition, © Evan Vucci

As I surfed the internet this morning, I found something that I knew had to be AI-generated. Bulldozers were in the process of demolishing a portion of the United States White House. 

My first thought was that "surely this cannot be true, because this is a historic building." While I was aware of Trump's intention to build a new ballroom, I thought that it would require approval from the Secretary of the Interior for construction to proceed.  That office has guidelines for the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction of historic buildings. I further thought there would be public input into the process. While the executive branch has some discretion in reconstruction and alterations to the White House, historically, these changes have involved both preservation and practical modernization goals. Previous renovations have balanced museum stewardship and living-residence needs.

While the White House is both a private residence and a historic property, it is also "The People's House".  The 1961 Act and Executive Order 11145 provide for the White House to serve as more than a private residence, which also houses many of the nation's historic collections. The building itself has legendary history, having been built by approximately 150 free and enslaved laborers, including approximately 20 freemasons who laid the cornerstone in 1792.

While this history is impactful for many Americans, it is unlikely that the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue either knows or cares about this historical fact. Trump's $250 million construction of the ballroom in the East Wing was, according to him, not going to alter the White House itself. However, just like many other things he has told the American public, that statement is clearly false, as demolition of the East Wing has already commenced. (By the way, federal workers are not being paid during a government shutdown, and many are facing permanent unemployment, yet there is money for this vanity project.)

The destruction of a portion of this historic site has already occurred; there is nothing we can do about it at this point. That is very similar to the destruction Trump has visited upon this nation and our foundational beliefs. Historic America is under demolition. We cannot return it to its original state. Just as part of the East Wing is gone, so are many of our foundational freedoms. 

But we cannot let this one man destroy the history our forebearers gave to us. We cannot relinquish the freedoms that our Founders willed to us. There will come a time when another administration will have to fix the atrocities that this tasteless man will wreak upon the People's House. And there will come a time when "The People" will have to repair the damage he has done to our democracy. 

The demolition has begun, but we can stop it. And if it can't be stopped, we can fix it. The White House represents our history, our Constitution, and our freedom. Every American must assess our nation's trajectory and decide whether to accept the destruction we face under the current leadership, both figuratively and literally.  Will we acquiesce, or will we fight to preserve our freedom? 

Freedom was not easily won. It will not be easily relinquished. I believe that most Americans will stand for democracy.  Will you?