- Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza
The Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza is an
urban park and gathering place, located in front of theArizona state capitol complex in downtownPhoenix, Arizona . It serves as a home to a number ofmemorials honoring prominent figures in Arizona history as well as memorializing significantwars and other events that have had an impact on the state. It is designated as one of thePhoenix Points of Pride .History
The plaza was established on
March 9 ,1978 by theArizona Legislature [cite web|url=http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/46leg/1r/summary/h.hb2104_02-12-03_approp.doc.htm|title=HB2104 - 461R|publisher=Arizona House of Representatives] in honor of GovernorWesley Bolin , who had died a mere 5 days previously onMarch 4 . Prior to the resolution creating the plaza, it had simply been a part of the Legislative Governmental Mall. While the plaza exists only as a part of the Mall, in common usage the terms are interchangeable and the name of the plaza is often used in preference to the Mall.Much like the
National Mall on which it is loosely based, the Legislative Governmental Mall is intended as an open-air public space featuring monuments, memorials and gardens. Some of these monuments were erected prior to the inception of the Plaza, such as the monument to the USS "Arizona" which was dedicated over a year earlier onDecember 7 ,1976 . The Plaza, when dedicated, included these existing memorials and all subsequent memorials have been located within the boundaries of the plaza.Owing to its location directly in front of the state capitol, the plaza has also become a meeting place and a focal point for
protests and demonstrations, such as the2006 United States immigration reform protests , with Phoenix participants culminating in arally at the plaza. Over 100,000 participants took part in the display. [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0405marchroute0405.html|title=100,000 are expected for pro-migrant march|publisher=The Arizona Republic] [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special03/articles/0415phx-march0415.html|title=Immigration march cost Phoenix over $300,000|publisher=The Arizona Republic]Monuments and Memorials
The plaza is home to 27 memorials dedicated to topics as wide ranging as important individuals, organizations and events. Among the more prominent are the
mast andanchor of the USS "Arizona", memorials to major wars such asWorld War I ,World War II , theVietnam War , theKorean War andDesert Storm . Also of note are some memorials that have caused considerable controversy, as mentioned below.The following is a full list of memorials found at the plaza.
*Wesley Bolin Memorial Marker
*Father Kino Statue
*Bushmaster s Memorial
*Arizona Pioneer Women Memorial
*Ten Commandments Memorial
*Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial
*4th Marine Division ,World War II
*Law Enforcement Memorial
*World War I Memorial
*Confederate Troops Memorial
*Jewish War Veterans Memorial
*Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
*Armenia n Martyrs Memorial
*Desert Storm Memorial
*American Merchant Seaman Memorial
*Father Braun Memorial
*Arizona Peace Officers Memorial
*Korean War Memorial
*USS "Arizona" mast
*USS "Arizona" anchor
*Vietnam Veterans Memorial
*Ernest W. McFarland Memorial
*Purple Heart Memorial
*Arizona Workers Memorial/ El Pasaje
*Arizona Crime Victims Monument
*Arizona Law Enforcement Canine Memorial
*Arizona 9/11 Memorial Controversies
Due to the sometimes controversial nature of the events or subject matter of the monuments in the plaza, they have become the subject of intense criticism and sometimes even legal battles.
The Ten Commandments Memorial
The
Ten Commandments memorial, one of those placed in the Mall prior to the creation of the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, became the target of an attempt to remove it in 2003. TheAmerican Civil Liberties Union argued that the memorial violated the concept ofseparation of church and state . [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special12/articles/0718commandments18.html|title=ACLU seeks religion-free Bolin Plaza|publisher=The Arizona Republic]The monument had originally been erected in 1964 by the
Fraternal Order of Eagles in connection toCecil B. DeMille , director of the famous 1956 film adaptation of The Ten Commandments.While the effort to remove the monument did not succeed, the controversy surrounding its inclusion on a government operated location continues today.
Arizona 9/11 Memorial
The memorial to commemorate the
September 11, 2001 attacks was unveiled on the fifth anniversary of the attacks,September 11 ,2006 . Almost immediately, criticism that the memorial containedanti-American sentiment began to surface. Some of the descriptions have also been described as meaningless. [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special12//articles/0211memorial0211.html|title=Attack memorial stirs more attacks|publisher=The Arizona Republic|last=Benson|first=Matthew]In response to the critics, the commission in charge of the memorial's design and construction has promised to review it and make changes if necessary. This process is ongoing.
External links
* [http://www.azleg.state.az.us/museum/tourpg1.htm Virtual tour]
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.