Posted on September 22, 2014 by Ann - free speech, human rights, politics, society
On Friday a man jumped the fence in front of the White House and made it all the way up to an unlocked front door before being tackled by security. So now according to the Washington Post the Secret Service is considering increasing the buffer area around the White House.
It’s a natural reaction to say “increase the security- whatever it takes!” after an incident like this but let me offer another perspective. I’ve lived in Washington before and after the attacks of 9-11 and believe me security has already dramatically increased. Streets are closed, the attitude and aggressiveness of the Capitol Hill and SCOTUS police have changed and there are so many more areas restricted and off-limits to ordinary Americans. The outside upper level around the Capitol with the dramatic view of the Mall and the Washington Monument is still closed to the general public and you never know when a guard will scream at you to get off a sidewalk because a motorcade is coming down the street.
Here’s my thoughts about this in a 2004 cartoon: 
Posted on June 5, 2014 by Ann - human rights, politics
Washington is all up in arms about the circumstances of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s rescue and the debates about whether he was a deserter and his father’s actions are again dredging up the type of bigotry we saw in the aftermath of 911. I don’t know why some talking heads are so surprised when soldiers become disillusioned after 13 years of war and witnessing stuff like this (#5).
It’s obvious that the Obama administration’s explanations about the Bergdahl rescue so far have been confusing and politically motivated but the loudest criticism about how the 5 high-ranking Taliban leaders being exchanged for Bergdahl’s release affects America’s security just makes me shake my head. I don’t remember hearing this much concern about our security when we were waging wars based on trumped up or nonexistence intelligence and creating international criticism and condemnation. Remember the French newspaper headline “We are all Americans now”? We quickly managed to lose worldwide sympathy and support by our subsequent actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. We won’t regain that or our moral standing for generations.
