"I deliberately did not read anything about the Vietnam War because I felt the politics of the war eclipsed what happened to the veterans. The politics were irrelevant to what this memorial was"

Maya Lin's quote uses deep insight into her thought process and objectives behind creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Her conscious decision to prevent checking out the Vietnam War's politics underscores a purposeful concentrate on individual experiences and universal human feelings rather than the polarizing political discourse of the age.

Lin's emphasis on the "politics of the war eclipsing what took place to the veterans" recommends that she viewed the national story about the Vietnam War as dominated by controversial and dissentious political arguments. Throughout and after the war, intense political controversy surrounded American participation in Vietnam, leading to widespread societal argument and protest. These political narratives often overshadowed the individual stories of the soldiers who served in Vietnam, much of whom went back to a country deeply divided over the war they battled in.

By declaring the politics of the war "irrelevant" to her memorial project, Lin suggests her intent to produce a space devoid of judgment or political statement. Her design aims to honor the private sacrifice and collective discomfort experienced by veterans and their families, offering an area for recovery and reflection. The focus on the personal element instead of political controversy permits visitors to engage with the memorial on a human level, going beyond the controversial historic arguments that might otherwise distance or distract them from its purpose.

Lin's option represents a broader artistic viewpoint that prioritizes personal experience and universality over political or historic specificity. In doing so, she welcomes varied analyses and psychological reactions, motivating visitors to acknowledge the human cost of war irrespective of their political beliefs. Her focus on the veterans themselves intends to offer voice and presence to those who might feel overshadowed by the bigger political story, enhancing the memorial as a site of remembrance and reconciliation. Through this technique, Lin creates an effective, non-political testament to compromise, loss, and healing.