On my first trips to Latin America nearing 15 years ago, I always made a point of visiting capital cities and whenever possible, their seat of government and occasionally the residence of their president or prime minister. I was often saddened on these tours to see many of those government buildings, and almost always the presidentâs residence surrounded by high walls, tall iron fencing, and typically concertina razor wire on top. It saddened me that these republics were faced with such internal threats and fears to their comparatively fragile democracies.
And now, just days ahead of what is our traditional and well-established peaceful transition of power in Washington, D.C., our Capitol building is now surrounded by high fencing topped by concertina wire and more than 20,000 National Guard troops. From footage broadcast of pending inaugural preparations, with the Great Mall closed and visitors asked not to attend or participate, you might think we, too, have transitioned into a police state.