Letter: A tourist’s visit to a Smithsonian museum and what it reflects today

In the year that we Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, three generations of Ashtons recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit several of the Smithsonian museums. The fourth generation, my father, was with us in spirit. Early in his career, he was a history professor, and he taught me to read or listen to multiple perspectives when learning about a historical event or period, then draw my own conclusions.