Congressional Aid

For this semester in DC, I intend to merge my interest in government with my deep passion for photography as often as possible. I love using the medium of photography to tell stories of the world around me; pictures have a way of capturing the essence of a particular moment in time, but allow viewers to form their own opinion of that moment. That being said, there are many ways of looking at the above picture I took on my first of what will be many trips around the District. Here are two things that come to mind.

The first thing that caught my mind were the two ambulances parked behind the East Entrance to the Capitol. They are facing the building and appear ready to go at moment's notice. The other thing I found incredibly ironic about this scene was that there are two ambulances, which I interpreted as one to take away the Democrats and one to take away the Republicans. With a congressional disapproval in the 80% range, it's not too difficult to see why these vehicles are symbolic of the dangerous situation both parties find themselves in.

Even in general most people disapprove of the government as a whole, which brings us to the Capitol, arguably the strongest image of the American political system. Here again, this picture - like any taken of this iconic building in the coming weeks - provides ironic symbolism. The base of the dome is enclosed by scaffolding as crews preform repairs to its exterior. The repairs taking place here remind me of the necessary repairs our government needs.

In this season of presidential politics, each one of us has the ability to help, to provide some congressional aid. It is in this climate that the members of DC Semester begin their journey within the heart of American politics.