Lynne Kelsey
On Sept. 11 seven members of the Liberty Belles Steering Committee chose to commemorate the day by traveling to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. Arriving only an hour after the former President and First Lady had visited the Center to observe a moment of silence, the Belles made a first stop at the special exhibit “Freedom Matters,” which featured fascinating artifacts, such as a 14th century copy of the Magna Carta and rare versions of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights. The exhibit was made all the more interesting by the participation of extremely knowledgeable volunteer docents, one of whom was a retired UNT history professor.
The rest of the museum contains several galleries devoted to the 43rd President’s life and time in office. Most poignant is the September 11 gallery. Rounding a corner and coming upon the spotlighted steel beams from the World Trade Center causes a sharp intake of breath. Each of us knew exactly where we had been on that terrible day.
After lunch at the appropriately named Café 43, the Belles returned to view more of the museum. We learned about life in the White House and key legislative moments from the Bush administration and viewed many of the fantastic artifacts given to the President by foreign leaders. We topped off the day with a visit to the reproduced Oval Office where we posed with our own “Madam President” and her loyal cabinet! It was a trip marked by a balance of solemnity and enjoyment, and we returned to the Ranch better for having gone.