Tallahassee is the political center of Florida. Due to the obvious functional differentiation of American cities, this city is only a small town with about 250,000 people, and its popularity is far less than that of Orlando and Miami in the same state. There is no industry in the city, and the state government and the University of Florida are the two most important employers in the city. The state government is located at the intersection of two prosperous roads in the city center. Since "Tacheng" is located in the hilly area of "Florida", the terrain is uneven, and most of the buildings in the town are relatively low. The state government building is the tallest building in the town. , and is located on a high slope, condescending, quite a feeling of "seeing all the mountains and small". There are two buildings in the state government. The earliest government building was built in 1845. After repeated expansion and reconstruction, the appearance has undergone a lot of changes. At present, the building retains its appearance when it was rebuilt in 1902. The new government building is located in the old state. Behind the government is a 22-story high-rise building that was put into use in 1977. After the establishment of the new state government, it was deliberated and approved by the "Florida" Congress, and the original old state government continued to be used as the Florida Congress History Museum.
The night when the author arrived at "Tacheng" coincided with the cold air attacking from the south, the temperature dropped sharply, and there were thin raindrops in the sky. The state government is just a stone's throw away from my hotel. Around 9:00 in the morning, the author came to the front of the State Government Museum with an umbrella. This is a building with a Renaissance neoclassical style. The whole building is solemn and solemn gray. There are ten pillars standing majestically at the porch, and the pillars are triangular gables. It was early, and the museum was almost empty, with only two police officers casually conducting security checks. I handed my passport, and they let me pass after a quick look. Entering the hall, you can see the huge Roman-style vault in the hall. The ground of the central hall is the huge state emblem of Florida, and the east and west wings are brightly lit. I walked to the east side of the building. Although the author has lived in Florida for six years, I do not have a comprehensive understanding of Florida's history and political system. This visit helped me make up for this lesson. Photographs on the walls, showcases in the house, and documentaries that are constantly being replayed on LCD TVs tell the story of Florida's complex and tortuous history. Originally, the Spanish colonist Juan Ponce de León occupied this American Indian tribal settlement, In 1763, Spain and Great Britain made the state a British colony. In 1783, the American Revolutionary War ended and the British handed Florida back to Spain. From 1783 to 1810, dissatisfied with Spanish rule, there was an uprising in this land and the Free Republic of West Florida was established. Later, the Louisiana Purchase Agreement signed between the United States and France included West Florida. Eventually, the United States annexed East Florida, and in 1819, Florida officially became a new member of the United States. The complex and tortuous history combined with Florida's unique location has created a rich and diverse cultural landscape: French and Spanish influences coexist, Indian and Latin American cultures intertwined. In "Tacheng", this cultural mix and blend permeates all aspects of life. The central area of the city is called "French Town", and the buildings inside are reminiscent of the laid-back French countryside, only a few minutes from the city center. The University of Florida on the main street is dominated by Spanish-style buildings, with three or four-story buildings with beautiful red-tiled roofs, balconies and attics; walking on the road, you can not only hear the elongated southern American English, but also Hear beautiful Spanish or French, and even hear a mixed language of Spanish and English; in terms of diet, in addition to American fast food and Mexican food, you can also taste the unique Cajun and Creole food of the southern United States , respectively reflecting the influence of France and Spain; "Tacheng" also follows the characteristics of Latin Americans who can sing and dance. In local dance clubs, you can see both cheerful and relaxed Cuban-style salsa dancing, as well as You can enjoy the passionate Spanish flamenco dance.
I continued to walk and saw a large number of Indian artifacts displayed in the closets on the wall, including clothing, headgear, weapons, and various daily necessities. By reading the notes on the wall, you can see the American government's reflection on colonial history. After massacres of Indians, the US government began to reflect on its previous mistakes, passed laws to compensate the Indians economically, and also began to make efforts to protect the rights and culture of the Indians. Indians can continue to live in their own way in the reservation, and Indian culture has gradually been accepted by mainstream American culture. In American society, the cultural symbols of Indians are everywhere.
All this in front of me reminds me of the bond between the University of Florida and the local Seminole tribe. The Seminole tribe originally came from Oklahoma in the northeastern United States. There are three branches in total. One of them entered Florida in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, a war with the United States caused a large number of tribal people to die, leaving only two hundred tribes left. the rest. To compensate, the U.S. government donated 5,000 acres (about 20 square kilometers) of land to the Seminole tribe in 1930, making it the only tribe in the United States with its own land. On their own land, the Indians opened hotels, tobacco stores and casinos, making huge profits. Its income can be used independently and is not taxed by the U.S. government. In view of the great symbolic significance of the Seminole tribe in American culture and the close relationship with the state of Florida, the University of Florida negotiated to name the school's football team Seminole, and use the head of the tribe leader Osceola as the team's head. mascot. At the same time, the school also introduced the spirit of the Seminoles' pursuit of freedom and independence as the school motto. Under the giant Indian equestrian statue standing at the south gate of the school is engraved with the proud declaration of the Seminoles: "Unconquered." These exhibits and the descriptions in the museum not only make people feel the courage of the US government to face up to history, but also Demonstrate respect for culture and tolerance for vulnerable groups.
Out of the memory of history, I came to the west side of the museum, where I saw the offices of various former government departments, including the State Senate and House of Representatives, the Governor and the Attorney General’s Office, etc. The parliamentary hall and offices are still old. The tables and chairs in the congress hall are yellow due to the age, and the armrests of the black leather sofas in the offices have been polished. The portraits of the governor, the attorney general and the members of the parliament are hung in these offices. Being in it, one can almost imagine the scene when the legislators held a meeting or the governor received the guests. The exhibits in the office showcase can be described as large and small, ranging from the Florida flag hanging on the walls on both sides, to the uniforms, shirts, various stationery and furnishings on the desk, and the license plate of the governor's car. down. The descriptions on the wall are all-encompassing, involving culture, law, health and many other aspects, disseminating a lot of knowledge. A whole wall on the right hand side of the second floor is arranged as a Cultural Hall of Fame, on which the names, portraits and dates of birth and death of famous writers and artists born in Florida are listed. The top three are the famous ones. Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and Ray Charles, known as the "King of Souls", among others.
Passing through the back door of the old city hall, it was already around 10 a.m., and the rain seemed to be getting heavier. I entered the state government office building, and walked in without going through the second security check. I was lucky enough to meet a group of students from the nearby city of Jacksonville. According to regulations, if the number of visitors exceeds 15, the state government will arrange for a tour guide to explain the whole scene. I'd be happy to have a listen too. The narrator's name is Robert, a young man in his twenties. He is not tall and looks smart and capable. He was wearing a yellow half-sleeve shirt and spoke clear and fluent southern English. When he saw the children coming, he took the initiative to run around and greet them enthusiastically. Accompanied by him, we boarded the elevator and first came to the top floor of the twenty-second floor of the building. There is a circle of glass windows on the top floor, and the surrounding scenery is unobstructed. Unfortunately, the weather is not good and the fog is heavy, and the scene in front of me is not very charming. Seeing that the children are not in a good mood, Robert begins to play the role of pistachio, with The children came to the other side of the building, where a local children's art exhibition was being held. The children created various worlds of their own through painting, sculpture, paper-cutting and collage. Although the creative techniques were immature, they could still see that the children were free and unrestrained. Unbridled free imagination. As I walked through the corridor, I saw some important documents in the history of the United States and the state of Florida hanging on the wall. One of the documents in Chinese caught my attention. This document turned out to be the surrender signed by Japan in 1945. The book bears the signatures of representatives of the United States, China, Britain and Russia. Among them, the Chinese signatures of Japanese representatives Aoi Shigemitsu, Umezu Mijiro, and Chinese representatives General Xu Yongchang are particularly conspicuous. You can fully feel from the location of this document. To the good intentions of the US government in patriotic education for its citizens.
After admiring the scenery on the top floor, we came to the second floor, which is also the highlight of the whole visit project: visiting the Senate House of State Government. Compared to the old one, the new one is bright and modern. There is a circle of transparent glass on the periphery of the parliamentary hall, and you can see the inside. The whole parliamentary hall looks like an indoor stadium. We are in the stand area, and there are rows of wide couches. The hall adopts the same dark yellow tone as the old congress hall, with rows of tables and chairs arranged in a ring, with a spacious and comfortable podium in the middle, with the American flag and the "Florida" state flag placed behind it. Looking up, there are huge chandeliers hanging from the roof of the Assembly Hall, portraits of famous "Florida" congressmen hanging on the surrounding wainscots, and below the portraits, a series of mirror oil paintings related to important historical events in Florida are hung.
Robert organized the students to sit down in the stands and then began to introduce. He is familiar with the entire House of Representatives, state government processes, and the entire American political life. In his smooth and humorous presentation, I and the students learned about the structure, construction process and architectural concept of the entire new parliamentary hall. Robert pointed out that the building was last renovated in 1999, and the materials were actually new, but some old-looking colors were deliberately chosen in order to maintain a stylistic unity with the old council hall, and the oil painting below is by Christopher Steele, a well-known local landscape artist in "Florida", took two and a half years to complete the painting, respectively depicting some important moments in the process of Florida and the founding of the United States. Each piece has a special symbolic meaning. He emphasized Explains the first oil painting, which depicts Jackson holding the American flag. The reason for choosing this painting is that Jackson served as the first governor of Florida before becoming the president of the United States. Robert also introduced the equipment in the parliamentary hall. For example, there are four buttons on each senator's desk. Red and green are used to vote, yellow is used to call staff, and white is used to notify that a call is coming. The Senator's office, and the transparent wall is prepared for the media, so that reporters can timely report the progress of the parliamentary resolution.
Robert's introduction lasted about ten minutes before entering the students' question time. Before Robert's voice "Welcome to ask questions", a dozen small hands raised at the same time. The children's questions were varied and involved all aspects of the parliament. Some asked about how the seats of the members were arranged, and some asked whether the members had the right to sit in the audience when they were not in session. Although these questions sounded childish, Robert always Smile, answer carefully and patiently. After a while, a little girl in a blue hoodie asked, "What qualifications do I need to become a member of parliament?" It was obvious that Robert had been waiting for such an opportunity. He took a deep breath and said seriously: "Two conditions are required. First, you must be a U.S. citizen; second, you must be at least 30 years old and have lived in this state for a certain period of time. Apart from that, there are no other requirements." He hung his finger in the hall The portrait above, "These people are from among us, they work for us, we respect them, and I believe you have the same opportunity to sit behind those tables." The answer to this question seemed more serious, and the children suddenly After a while, a fat little boy with black-rimmed glasses asked timidly, "I don't think this is a good question..." Robert looked at him encouragingly, he seemed to have After taking a little courage, he then asked, "I just want to know how the big lamp in the middle of the hall changed the light bulb..." This question seemed to confuse Robert, he scratched his head and said, "I remember seeing them changing As for the light bulb, there are more than 80 lights in this light, they probably replace half of them at a time, but I am not sure, I will ask the staff when I go back, you can leave your email and I will give the answer Send it to you." The whole visit lasted nearly an hour, and I really admire Robert's erudition, meticulousness, patience and dedication during the process. The respect for the country and the love for the country have transcended the scope of occupation and become an instinct. After the interview, I took the initiative to find Robert, introduced my identity to him and explained the purpose of his visit. He was very friendly and took a photo with me. I told him that this visit will be recorded and he will also be included. , the young man's excitement is beyond words, he shouted to the staff next to him: "Did you hear, he is from China, he wants to write me in the article, I want to be famous in China!"
When I walked out of the city hall, the rain had become very light and the wind was still cold. I put away my umbrella and walked towards the hotel, reminiscing about this short visit, from which I learned more about the history and political development of the United States. I also feel the love of the American people for their country and the kindness they have for each other. At this moment, an American wearing a three-piece formal suit was walking towards me. It seemed to be a staff member of the state capital. After seeing me, he took the initiative to smile at me and nodded: "The weather is nice, isn't it? ?"
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