By Josh Smith
Anchor / WJHL
Published: August 28, 2008

To renovate or replace?

It’s a common question when things get old.  Maybe it’s your kitchen.  For me, it’s my hair. 

But when it’s a true piece of history, the answer to the question gets tough.

I read on CNN.Com that folks at Arlington National Cemetery are VERY concerned about the Tomb of the Unknowns.  After decades of dealing with the wildly varying weather, the marble monument is cracked and crumbling.

Some say it should be repaired just like it has several times before.  Others say no - it’s time for a brand new monument, an exact replica, but one made of more durable materials.

In high school, I visited the monument along with crowds of other kids and tourists.  Even for our troop of teenage dumb-dumb’s, the visit brought some rare and profound silence.  We all can agree that America and every freedom loving country needs a Tomb of the Unknowns, a place which forever reminds us of the men and women who died in service to the country and their families who never got that sliver of peace that comes from burying a loved one’s remains.

What do you think?  Is the Tomb something you just don’t do?  Or is the future of this place worth the time, effort, discomfort, and expense of actually removing the old one and installing a new one?