Sunday, February 22, 2004

Security Efforts Turning Capital Into Armed Camp. The huge effort to build permanent safeguards for the Washington's most important buildings and monuments is a responseto the Sept. 11 attacks. By Michael Janofsky. [New York Times: NYT HomePage] In case you weren't keeping score, it currently stands: American Democracy- 0 Terror-21 "My daughter used to run up the steps of the Capitol, turn around, spread her arms and say, `This is my city,' " said Dan Tangherlini, director of the municipal Department of Transportation. Now, the steps are off-limits to the public while construction continues on an underground visitor center that will serve as the Capitol's sole public entry point. We're building barriers to keep ourselves out of the very buildings that should be open to all, because they belong to all of us. Maybe we should let go of the stuff, let go of the buildings, and spend more time protecting what they used to stand for. 1:09:17 AM     leave/read comments []