Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza

The Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza is an urban park and gathering place, located in front of the Arizona state capitol complex in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It serves as a home to a number of memorials honoring prominent figures in Arizona history as well as memorializing significant wars and other events that have had an impact on the state. It is designated as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride.

History

The plaza was established on March 9, 1978 by the Arizona 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 Governor Wesley Bolin, who had died a mere 5 days previously on March 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 on December 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 the 2006 United States immigration reform protests, with Phoenix participants culminating in a rally 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 and anchor of the USS "Arizona", memorials to major wars such as World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and Desert 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
*Bushmasters 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
*Armenian 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. The American Civil Liberties Union argued that the memorial violated the concept of separation 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 to Cecil 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 contained anti-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