Don't Isolate the White House

摘要

What is it about the White House that attracts the confused, the angry, the unhinged? And why, against all odds, do they so often try to penetrate the most secure residence on earth? The latest is a homeless U.S. Army veteran named Omar Gonzalez, who jumped the White House's perimeter fence on Sept. 19, scrambled across the North Lawn, and made it through an unlocked door before guards stopped him. He had a knife and a message for the president: "The atmosphere was collapsing." In response, the Secret Service is considering adding more security procedures. It may prevent the public from using the sidewalk surrounding the White House, put up yet more barriers, or force visitors to submit to screening a block away from the entrance. This is a mistake.