Rising or Setting Sun?
I had the pleasure this week of being in Philadelphia on a business trip. I travel a good bit, but for some reason my travels rarely take me to the Northeast. So, being the history buff that I am, I knew I had to check out Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell while in Philadelphia. I should also state that I was in search of the perfect Cheese Steak sandwich!
For those of you that might need a reminder, Independence hall is the site where the Declaration of Independence was adopted. It was in the Assembly Room of the building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775. Furthermore, it was also where the US constitution was debated, drafted, and signed.
During the Constitution debate, George Washington presided over the meetings. He sat in what has become a very famous chair, named the “rising sun”. This original piece of furniture is still in the building, which I saw this week. Viewing this chair, made me think about the differences in Americans and the major miracle that occurred in that room to adopt the U.S. Constitution. When looking at the image of the sun on the top of the chair, it is clear that it can be viewed as either a rising sun or a setting sun. The actual image is simply the sun split in half. So, one is either optimistic (rising sun over America, best of times still to come) or pessimistic (setting sun over America, best days behind us) in how they view the image.For me, America has always been a rising sun. There are many that believe the American Century was the 20th, but the 21st will belong to China. I instead am the optimist for America, the sun is still rising. Yes China will be a force this century, but American ingenuity will keep us strong as long as we keep government out of our lives as much as possible, promote free enterprise, and not punish those in our society that take risks and create jobs, and lower our tax burden.
By the way, the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich at Gino’s in South Philly was excellent. It was recommended by the staff at our hotel. Anyone know of a better Philly Cheese Steak in Philadelphia for my next trip?