Open Or Closed

The most disingenuous word in government today may be "security", as in, "We are taking away your rights or freedom for security reasons.". Americans can curse George Bush for the security ruse that now is frequently brought into play when politicians want excuses for bad or dishonest policy ("Oh, but we did this to protect you from terrorists"). It was the Bush crowd that made secrecy a standard for all our government, political persuasion aside. Now, instead of an open democracy we have a closed one that is filled with scripted pronouncements, lies and illusions. No wonder politicians can lie more often and more easily.

The reason that I mention this is because I just read a story about how the public has lost much of its once unhindered access to the Capital and White House grounds. Now, the public is permitted to see the Capitol only from the extreme outside as Senators and Representatives there have arranged the time honored "capital tour" to be conducted far away from them. But then, members of Congress even avoid their constituents when they go back home to their districts. It's part of the elite mindset that politicians have. They want to be seen and spoken to by constituents as little as possible.

Security concerns, swelling crowds and the wish to keep the public away means the average person isn't allowed to see much of the Capitol for very long. For any single citizen, the chance of seeing a Senator walk by or to speak with him or her is almost an impossible one. Thirty minute tours of a small part of the Capital or Supreme Court building is not what an open democratic society should have. It's what is given today. But it wasn't always that way, and shouldn't be now. Security concerns should not trump reason and openness in a free society. Taxpayers have the right to see what they pay for the government structures and engage those who represent them inside of them.

I remember as a boy how I was given complete access to roam the White House, even going unescorted into the famed Lincoln bedroom and getting a glimpse of the President of the United States as he entered a limousine on the grounds of the White House. He stood just a few meters from the tourists that day. Years later when I was a teacher I took students to Washington DC for a week of the "Close-up" program, Congressmen roamed the hallways and grounds of the capital openly and apparently were unafraid of contact with the public. We rode in underground elevators with Congressmen. One could say "hello" and often engage in a conversation with them.

Being in touch with constituents is a primary part of the function of an elected official in a democracy. That politicians today only want scripted meetings with constituents or that they give staff members of their offices the duty to contact voters instead of doing it themselves is a sad sign of the times. The only safety concern government officials here have now is not for the voting public, but rather safety from an elected representative having to openly face those whom he or she is supposed to represent. From my view that is a far worse terrorism than all the phony terrorist scenarios we hear from politicians today.