A little help needed here for a school project

[roostercogburn]

My 14 year old son has been given a project to design a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Iraq war. It must be designed as though it will be built on the Mall in Washington D.C. which means it must follow the same design restrictions that applied to the Vietnam Memorial. It must Honor the memory of those who served and those who gave their lives. Be harmonious with the Mall and its surroundings. Somehow fit into the "historic continuity" of American art. Be durable, buildable and not hard to maintain. Please , any ideas would be appreciated.

[luckystarmom]

How about something that depicts the Iraqi's toppling the statue of Saddam?

[muir_redwoods]

How about a large bronze dog standing next to a large bronze pig, both of them peeing on the ka'aba

[sgtbono2002]

I was going to say the Saddam statue too with a tank hooked to it pulling it down.

[maro]

Aren't all his classmates about the same age? Is getting adult help for the child fair to all the kids who just do their own work? What are you teaching your child about individual responsibility? In the long run, you are also being unfair to your kid. You won't be able to help him when he takes the SATs, when he goes to college, when he takes his final exams.

[roostercogburn]

Uh, all of these kids will be getting help from parents. That is part of being a parent. I do not mind helping. We are discussing all of the ideas right now for the monument. We are also discussing the reasons for war as well. Why sacrifice is sometimes required. But I have my childs best interest at heart, and I will help him any way I see fit. And he will learn to think on his own in the process. Nd he is laughing heartily and some of the funnier ideas you guys here have posted. The kid beating saddams head with a shoe is his favorite.

[Wagonboy]

Your 14 year old son shouldn't need his parents for help on a project that he ought to see through on his own.

But here's my two cents anyway for an "A".... A soldier sculpture of an unarmed and smartly dressed slender man with a pink triangle patch on his sleeve (signifying the sexual orientation of his unit), and a robin-egg blue helmet. This handsome and well tailored hunk of a soldier should be offering a bag of rice and a pack of rubbers to a snarling, ungrateful turbin-headed man with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder.

[DrewsDad]

Have the woman with the purple fingers, forming a peace sign, sticking them into Saddam's eye sockets.

[MikefromOhio]

heh that would be cool too :)

[M-cubed]

Make sure you get all 4 branches of the Military.<<<

Yup...(AFTER THE FACT, WHEN THERE IS A TOTAL!)..I can see 4 black granite soldiers with white marble wings, each supported by a pyramid of sculptured dog tags in cronigraphical order, hovering over....WAITE A MINUTE!~...This ain't no English assignment...its indoctrination class 101!....Id have the kid cast his Dads letter in stone holding up a pot of tepid water with a frog in it...Let the teacher figure out if its a memorial or a peace statue....

[Tax-chick]

I would like to know what designing a monument has to do with Language Arts? It seems a bit outside of the realm of reading. This is not graphic design or art class.

I was going to ask what class produced this assignment. Perhaps the best "Memorial" in the circumstances would be an elegantly-reasoned term paper on the causes and effects of our intervention in Iraq.

[freedumb2003]

I have no idea how to take your post.

[IronJack]

How about a Marine standing over a fallen Iraqi citizen, offering a hand up, while, over his shoulder, a soldier, a sailor, and an airman cover his six?

[359Henrie]

A steel beam from NY city with a pair of empty desert boots.

[M-cubed]

First, I loved your idea of all services being represented...I too was thinking about a Memorial in the same vain...but when I read on and saw the "option" and the fathers letter, it dawned on me that it wasn't an English assignment and may have had a hidden agenda...Hence the analogy of the proper way to boil a live frog

[M-cubed]

Whoops...54 was to you...Hope it clears it up

[freedumb2003]

Thanks, FRiend.

I have come to learn to assume no offense was meant when I have a post that looks like a non sequitur. But it took me a while ;)

I agree this is a strange and perhaps inappropriate assignment, but I say attack it with vigor and do such a great job that the teacher is converted to seeing the good we have done and will do!

:)

[Capriole]

Helping a kid do some work doesn't mean doing it for him. It means steering him the right direction, giving feedback, giving perspective until the child is capable of doing it all on his own. Even for the SATs, the child will have help, for presumably most caring parents will assist with studying for the SATs and will buy coaching courses, books, or software. During college, there will be tutors, other kids, and professors to give guidance. During his later career, supervisors, colleagues, spouse, and employees may give help and direction. So helping a child does not fail to prepare him for real life.

For instance, my daughter, now 17 and accepted at a good private college, has a difficult essay to write. I could write it for her, but I won't. Instead we spent 20 minutes talking about it. The ideas will be hers. Later she'll come down and ask me if her work is making the right points and communicating what she intended. That's feedback.

This mom is doing the same thing. She may be collecting ideas, but ultimately the project will doubtless be the boy's.

[DTogo]

It must be designed as though it will be built on the Mall in Washington D.C. which means it must follow the same design restrictions that applied to the Vietnam Memorial.

In that case your son doesn't need to do anything. He can tell his teacher that Democrats in Washington filibustered the vote to allow the memorial as it was all a war over lies, and Republicans didn't have the spine to muster a majority to overrule them.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Alexander...your suggestion reminds me of the statue honoring WWII Vets that went up in our town park in 1998. It is called "The Cradle of Liberty."

[Ohioan from Florida]

Please ping me with your teacher's response. I'm interested in what he or she will have to say for himself.