Jack's Mother In D.C.

Jack's Mother In D.C.

From '71 to '74 Jack worked for Army Audit in Germany but made several trips back to the states to attend mandatory army audit schools. On one such trip Jack's Mom flew in from Missouri to visit with her son before and after each day's training session in Washington D.C. In these photos Jack is showing his Mother the U.S. Capitol building in D.C.

Last month Jack and I scanned these old slides (remember slides and slide projectors?) into our computer. It was fun to see these photos of Jack's late mother and to see how clothing styles and the landscape around the capitol have changed. Notice the bell bottom pants. Notice the car parking lot that leads right up to the steps of the capitol. Bell bottom pants are gone and so is this parking lot which is now replaced with grass, trees and physical barriers for protection of the building. Lots of concrete barriers around the capitol today since 9/11.

The times and the fashions well they are ever changing.

Crocheted capes were big in the hippie '70s

and Jack's Mom wore her cape everywhere on this trip.

Notice the big old cars with lots of chrome. But I do see one little Volkswagen beetle in this photo. If this parking lot still existed today, it would have a lot more cars packed into it. I think this photo was taken on the weekend but Congress back then did work on the weekends. Today the lazy congressional folks of both political parties show up around noon on Monday and then head back out of town Thursday afternoon. It is the lowly paid congressional aides who today keep our government running. The congressional folks spend a lot a time courting votes from their constituents and money from big pocket lobbyists.

Should there be term limits on our congressional members like we have for the president? I think so. Some of these folks love the D.C. area so much that when they finally must leave Congress they still remain in D.C., Maryland or Virginia. Former Senator Robert Dole and Mrs. Dole are both examples of this. How you going to keep them down on the farm once they have seen D.C.?