Four Freedoms in Action

Our current special exhibit, Roosevelt, Rockwell and the Four Freedoms, gave the Museum a great opportunity to address one of our core missions – to tell the story of what World War II means today.

We hoped that visitors would reflect on the idealistic world that Roosevelt hoped would flourish after the war and ask themselves whether we have achieved it and what each can do to further that goal.  To that end, we put up a comment wall and asked the public to pick one of the Four Freedoms and list how they personally can help achieve it.

Thoughtful comments are coming in, including:  “Stand up for what you believe” and “If you don’t respect all four freedoms, what was it all for?”

These and other comments have been inspirational to visitors and staff and a few have even made us laugh. For instance, related to Freedom of Speech, one visitor pledged to “Stand up to my wife.”

We look forward to sharing additional comments as they come in. In the meantime, feel free to tell us here how you can help preserve the Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear. What other freedoms that we enjoy as Americans are important to you?

Roosevelt, Rockwell and the Four Freedoms is on display at The National WWII Museum through November 13, 2011.

This post by Walt Burgoyne, Education Program Coordinator at The National WWII Museum.