Power and the people in DC

The inauguration is living proof of everything that is wrong with Washington. I don't just mean the crazy-extravagant, pimping, jangling parties going on around the city. That's always been happening at least as long as I've been around. The disturbing thing to me is how far the government is from the people it represents.

Over the Christmas break we took the kids to DC for a couple of days to see the sights and get a glimpse of the center of modern democracy. The White House might as well be The Kremlin. We were allowed to gaze through the iron fence at the structure, but that's it. A tour was out of the question--you need to arrange it 6 months ahead of time through your congressman, with background checks and who knows what else. Without this advance clearance (which, by the way, is probably more difficult than gaining access to classified documents) all you can do is stroll the perimeter, encompassing several city blocks, peering through the fences. The kids weren't up for that much walking so we just went to the "White House" visitors center, which is actually in a Dept of Commerce building far removed from the actual White House. Crap. Utter crap. There were a few exhibits on par with what you'd see at your local historical society, and a friendly park ranger whose job it is to explain that you can't take a tour.

I always thought of the White House as being accessible. Past presidents, in simpler times, welcomed the public. Tons of movies include White House tours, ranging from Pee Wee's Big Adventure to An American President (right? the one with Annette Benning), further perpetuating the myth that regular folk can actually get into the place. (update: Pee Wee toured tha Alamo, not the White House. So what am I thinking of that had a Pee Wee Alamo-like tour of the White House?)

The cold hard truth is that we live in a police state where the halls of power are further removed from the citizenry than ever before. Is it reasonable, considering the security situation? Sure it's reasonable, but its also a damn shame.

I think, in the end, I'm just shocked that as a citizen I felt so unwelcome at the place where our collective will as a people is executed in policy and actions. You'd think that a government of the people, for the people, by the people would be a little more accessible to the people.