| Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza | |
|---|---|
USS Arizona Signal Mast
| |
 | |
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 33°26′53″N 112°05′39″W / 33.448112°N 112.094257°W / 33.448112; -112.094257 |
| Operated by | City of Phoenix |
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 affected the state. It is designated as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride.
The plaza was established on March 9, 1978, by the Arizona Legislature [1] 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.
Also located in the Plaza is the memorial dedicated to the 158th Infantry Regiment, the oldest and most prestigious unit in Arizona. The monument, based off a captured Japanese monument in the Philippines, stands as one of the few if only memorials to the regiment which served as one of the premier units of World War II.
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.[2][3]
The plaza is home to 30 memorials dedicated to topics including important individuals, organizations, and events. Among the more prominent are the mast, anchor, and a 14-inch gun 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, and America's first monument of the Bill of Rights. 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.
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, 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.[4]
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.
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.[5]
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.
Media related to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza at Wikimedia Commons
