I was lucky enough to see the White House in all of its wholeness, before half of it was decimated by the current administration. My 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. was formative, and as a West Coast kid who thought 1920’s architecture was the oldest in existence, I found myself in awe of all of the historically significant structures dating back to the 18th century. More than just being beautiful, the monuments and buildings that I saw represented a much deeper symbol of American patriotism and resilience. While our history is certainly stained, I still felt incredibly moved by the ideology of the “land of the free, home of the brave”, and these buildings were a physical manifestation of that emotion.
Buildings have always held an emotional significance. From the Western Wall to the Roman Colosseum, physical structures manifest the ideals and preserve the history of the societies they belong to. That being said, seeing the White House in its current state hit me much harder than I could have anticipated. After repeated lies from the President that none of the existing structures of the White House would be affected by the construction of his ballroom, satellite images have shown that the entire East Wing has been demolished. Poetically, the administration that has done the most to strip modern women of their rights has also stripped the White House of the one structure that women had the most influence on throughout American history.Â
As with most things, understanding the gravity of this situation begins with understanding the history behind it. Eleanor Roosevelt established the office of the First Lady in the East Wing during the Great Depression as a dedicated workspace for First Ladies to oversee their activism and advocacy campaigns. From Betty Ford to Rosalynn Carter to Michelle Obama, First Ladies have made history in the East Wing. Not only does it house the First Lady’s office, but also the White House visitors office, and is often thought of as the people’s gateway to the White House. Anita McBride quotes Betty Ford’s comments on the East Wing, saying, “If the West Wing is the mind of the nation, then the East Wing is the heart.”
In my opinion, this demolition transcends partisan lines. Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has argued that many presidents have renovated and modernized the White House, but the scale of this destruction and the context in which it is being done is unprecedented. Amid a government shutdown, while millions of Americans are losing SNAP benefits and are at risk of losing healthcare, the President has torn down an entire wing of the people’s house without the required congressional approval. This 300 million dollar project is being funded by multi-billion dollar corporations like Amazon and Lockheed Martin while essential federal employees are expected to work without pay. If this entire scenario doesn’t embody the phrase “let them eat cake”, I’m not sure what does. There is no left versus right argument when it comes to the demolition of the East Wing, because the callousness of this action should outrage the whole of the American public. The White House belongs to us, American history belongs to us, and anyone who lets this happen in silence should be deeply ashamed.