Copyright The Boston Globe
Susan Grosart Marion It is important that the lawsuit filed by Charles and Judith Voorhees be supported by the judicial system. This ordinary Virginia couple is representing all citizens who do not like the ramrodding through of major plans for the White House, which, they argue, have not been properly submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission as legally required. The absence of the required review of this commission and the lack of consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, and the Commission of Fine Arts undermine the historic designation of the White House as the “People’s House.” In addition, the public was misled by reassurances from the Trump administration that there would be no changes to the current White House, followed by no announcement of any changes in plans until destruction of the East Wing was already in progress. The proposed plans for the ballroom, as presented by McCrery Architects, show a ballroom building out of proportion to the White House. Historic areas of cities often restrict the size and height of new buildings to ensure that the integrity and importance of primary buildings are preserved. If the ballroom dwarfs the White House, it suggests that entertainment and fund-raising are more important than the executive branch of the US government. Also abhorrent is the planned use of Corinthian columns in the ballroom, which is out of sync with the motif of ionic columns used in the White House. The elaborate tops (called capitals) of Corinthian columns are associated with excess and the degeneration of the Roman Republic under despotic emperors such as Nero. The traditional ionic columns used frequently in the White House are associated with democracy as originally conceived by the Greek civilization. Loretta CR Hubley Nashua The writer is a retired art professor. Several years ago, as a tour guide at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, I read about the careful historical work of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who admired what had been done in European capitals she had visited to maintain the beauty of government buildings. She wanted the White House to be a place the American people could be proud of. She even explained to her children that they were temporary occupants of this house, which belongs to the American people. As Mrs. Kennedy set about restoring rooms to reflect different periods of American history and different presidents, she reached out to her fellow Americans and asked for donations of historic memorabilia appropriate to each period. She also was instrumental in establishing a White House Historical Association so that future changes could not be made arbitrarily. Then she provided a televised tour of the White House, inviting Americans to learn about the “People’s House.” It is too late to stop the demolition of the East Wing. It is not too late to stop the demolition of democracy. Dorothy Kennedy Natick The people who currently work at the White House often emphasize their support for Christian values. If they are telling the truth, then their new ballroom building should not be used as a clubhouse for billionaires. It should be used as a soup kitchen for the poor people of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. W.D. Stefanowicz Burlington It’s comforting to speculate that whichever president has the task of tearing down President Trump’s (you wait and see) gilded zeppelin hangar won’t have any trouble raising the money to do it. Jape Shattuck Newport, R.I.
