Security

Just a few years ago when I had friends or colleagues visiting me in Washington DC, we would walk over to the White House. We’d stand on Pennsylvania Avenue on the pedestrian sidewalk and look through the fence at the white building.

We also would look at the people around us. We were standing amid visitors from all over the world, as well as Americans, some of whom were there to protest. Some protested against the president, some protested political policies, some had banners and poster supporting a variety of political causes. Some played music, some yelled. They were noisy, but peaceful.

My friends from other countries usually were astounded. People who did not agree with the president were standing a few hundred yards from where he lived, yelling up a storm. Where my friends came from, anyone who tried to do that around their president or a Prime Minister’s palace would soon be taken off to prison.

I spent a fair amount of my life in Moscow and would often go to Red Square. Occasionally, I would go inside the Kremlin, escorted to interviews or news conferences.

As anyone who’s been to Moscow knows, you can get inside if you’re part of an organized tour of, let’s say, the ancient churches or other tourist sites. But the very idea that you would carry a flag in and protest in the Kremlin is… well… unthinkable. Again, you would be taken off to the Gulag very quickly.

We all know there are serious threats against not only President Trump, but many people in the government. The phrase “hang Mike Pence“ comes to mind. There have been serious threats against previous presidents. The world is a dangerous place and the weapons wrongdoers can use are getting more and more sophisticated. Just think drones…

But my sad prediction is that we will see the area around the White House shut down more and more and more. The fences will go up, they will be locked when there is a hint of trouble, people will not be able to even see the White House with all the security around it.

In time, the White House will be kind of like the Kremlin, but not with a big red brick wall from the 15th century.

The president will be locked away inside, accessible by his staff and select visitors. There will be lavish events in the ballroom… Plenty of champagne and tuxedos… They’ll shake hands with the president and do deals.

Will average Americans still be able to take a tour of the White House? We will see, but they will be quite controlled, kind of like the people who visit Lenin’s tomb on Red Square, who are ordered to take their hands out of their pockets and keep moving.

I say this with sadness, fully aware of the threats out there. But I hope, as the “most powerful country in the world,“ We can find a way to protect our top officials, while preserving the openness that makes us unique. Or should I say “made?”