Shielding government of the people from the people

May 1, 2002 12:00 PM, Larry Anderson www.securitysolutions.com

Free and open access by citizens to public buildings is one of the things we have given up in this time of heightened security control.

Access to public places is basic to the idea of government “by the people” — we should be allowed to visit public buildings and watch our government at work because, in the end, we are our government. Sadly, modern realities have been eroding that open access for years. Last year's terrorist attacks made even more stringent restrictions necessary, representing one more freedom we have been forced to give up in the interest of protecting ourselves.

Security precautions have relaxed somewhat of late, but they may never get back to normal again. More likely, we'll just have to get used to the “new normal.”

Here are some glimpses of the “new normal” in Washington, D.C., as reported by The Associated Press:

• Access to the White House is limited mostly to student groups. No longer can people walk in from the street to tour the President's home. Before Sept. 11, an average of 3,000 visitors toured the White House daily.

• The FBI and Pentagon tours are also limited to student groups. Tourists at the Pentagon gather instead to watch the progress of construction to rebuild the damage caused by terrorism.

• Purses and fanny-packs are searched at the Smithsonian museums, and backpacks are prohibited at some buildings.

• In general, there are more concrete barriers to block trucks.

• No metal nail files or aerosol hairspray are allowed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where money is made.

Have we lost forever the illusion of safety? There was a time when we used to think our children could play safely in public parks. In retrospect, it turns out that maybe their safety was not so much ensured as it was a case of blind luck. It could be they weren't any safer then than now, only luckier.

Newly awakened to, or should I say newly reminded of, what can happen, will we ever be able to return to the time before we became so obsessed with being safe? It's an awareness that can't be easily undone.

Perhaps someday, as the effectiveness of our security systems evolves, we will find ourselves able once again to open the doors of our public buildings to the public. Maybe we'll even be able to feel safe when we visit them.

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