Amy Dorsett: Secularity obscures Alamo's sacred character
[Amy Dorsett is a staff writer.]
Strolling the grounds of the Alamo, where background noise is provided by hucksters across the street trying to lure tourists to their gaudy attractions, it's easy to forget that the area is sacred ground, where 170 years ago today, hundreds of men died.
Even the landmark's own gift shop can feature less-than-tasteful souvenirs (nothing says Remember the Alamo quite like an ashtray made in China, retail price $5.25), and last spring it offered temporary tattoos in the name of fundraising.
Between the commercial distractions and a population that seems permanently tethered to cell phones, keeping the sacredness of the Alamo intact has become a growing challenge for those who operate the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
"There are things we have no control over, so we control what we can," said Bruce Winders, curator and historian of the Alamo.
No doubt the solemnity of today will be evident for the hundreds who gather at 6 a.m. in front of the Alamo to commemorate the anniversary of its fall on March 6, 1836.
The battle, which killed 189 Texas defenders and an estimated 600 to 1,000 Mexican troops, capped the end of a 13-day siege by Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna's soldiers.
Santa Anna left the Alamo victorious, but was defeated April 21 at the Battle of San Jacinto, which led to his capture and secured Texas' independence. The republic lasted nine years, until it joined the U.S.
This afternoon, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which runs the Alamo, will host a ceremony at 2:30 p.m., reading the names of those who died in the battle. The service is open to the public. Seating is limited.
Most days, there is no official pomp, and those who run the Alamo sometimes have to remind visitors why the ground is sacred.
"It's certainly a challenge, but the Alamo brings the sanctity by itself," said director David Stewart. "People are so moved when they go in that door, that the noise seems to disappear."
Visiting the Alamo for the first time, Londoners Lynda and Joe Tose said they were taken aback by the commercial endeavors that nearly encroach Alamo Plaza.
"I thought it would be more isolated than this. It would let you better appreciate what it stands for -- it's a memorial," Lynda Tose said. "I'm surprised it's so condensed -- you've got so much open space in America."...
Strolling the grounds of the Alamo, where background noise is provided by hucksters across the street trying to lure tourists to their gaudy attractions, it's easy to forget that the area is sacred ground, where 170 years ago today, hundreds of men died.
Even the landmark's own gift shop can feature less-than-tasteful souvenirs (nothing says Remember the Alamo quite like an ashtray made in China, retail price $5.25), and last spring it offered temporary tattoos in the name of fundraising.
Between the commercial distractions and a population that seems permanently tethered to cell phones, keeping the sacredness of the Alamo intact has become a growing challenge for those who operate the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
"There are things we have no control over, so we control what we can," said Bruce Winders, curator and historian of the Alamo.
No doubt the solemnity of today will be evident for the hundreds who gather at 6 a.m. in front of the Alamo to commemorate the anniversary of its fall on March 6, 1836.
The battle, which killed 189 Texas defenders and an estimated 600 to 1,000 Mexican troops, capped the end of a 13-day siege by Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna's soldiers.
Santa Anna left the Alamo victorious, but was defeated April 21 at the Battle of San Jacinto, which led to his capture and secured Texas' independence. The republic lasted nine years, until it joined the U.S.
This afternoon, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which runs the Alamo, will host a ceremony at 2:30 p.m., reading the names of those who died in the battle. The service is open to the public. Seating is limited.
Most days, there is no official pomp, and those who run the Alamo sometimes have to remind visitors why the ground is sacred.
"It's certainly a challenge, but the Alamo brings the sanctity by itself," said director David Stewart. "People are so moved when they go in that door, that the noise seems to disappear."
Visiting the Alamo for the first time, Londoners Lynda and Joe Tose said they were taken aback by the commercial endeavors that nearly encroach Alamo Plaza.
"I thought it would be more isolated than this. It would let you better appreciate what it stands for -- it's a memorial," Lynda Tose said. "I'm surprised it's so condensed -- you've got so much open space in America."...