Return from Vacation

Just this past weekend I returned from a week long vacation with my wife and son in Washington DC.  As a tourist, I found the experience enjoyable but maddening--Washington's Byzantine street system, its inadequate road signage and its scarce parking were responsible for more than a little frustration.

As a citizen, however, I felt conflicted on a different level.  Majestic government government buildings, reminiscent of ancient Greece and Rome, symbolize American greatness and power.  One would expect no less in a city that represents the hopes and aspirations of 300 million people that's the world's only remaining superpower.  But the country represented by these structures is a democracy, a fact that often seems lost on the innumerable police and security guards.

In our post 9/11 world, security concerns must, of course, be paramount.  But all the while I occasionally sensed a sense of smugness amongst the security personnel. For example, while being taken on a tour of the Capitol by a staff member for the office of Rep. Sander Levin, (who was most gracious) our guide was curtly informed by a Capitol Police officer that "only members and staff" were allowed to walk onto the balcony of the building's west front, the area where recent presidential inaugurations have taken place.

In fact, I heard and read the word "member" so many times while on Capitol Hill I had a hard time remembering if I was in the heart of our nation's democracy or within the confines of a private club.

If any of you have been to Washington in recent years, I'd like to hear your perspectives.  With some pressure, maybe "Of the People, by the People and for the People" will be taken a bit more seriously.