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Fortress Washington
By Mike Bayham
February 14, 2002

Two weeks ago I ventured up to our nation's capital for the Washington Mardi Gras Ball and CPAC meeting in northern Virginia. The former is an annual event put on by members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to bring a sampling of the pre-Lenten festival season to DC while the latter is more or less gathering of conservative, though not necessarily Republican, activists in a convention like format.

And while both events are enjoyable in their own special way, I had the urge to skip a few of the events and play tourist. Though this was my ninth trip to Washington, this was my first visit to DC since the terrorist attacks on America.

Washington DC is one of the best travel bargains for families that want more substance than Splash Mountain for a vacation. The city is rich in museums, monuments and other attractions and has quite possibly the only system of mass transit that newcomers can easily figure out and casually use. People can also see firsthand the activities and houses of the national government. A least they could before September 11.

Many places that were once open to tourists have been restricted or closed to the public all together, though some of them are closed not because of security reasons but for renovation. Many of the buildings affected are considered some of the top attractions in DC which consequently makes them top targets for terrorists.

There were more than a few visible examples of how September 11 not only changed the political landscape of our nation's capital but also the physical landscape as well. I remember it was only 5 years ago when Bob Dole and other Republicans lambasted President Clinton for closing off the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue that ran past the front of the White House after several attacks were made on the executive mansion.

Dole had promised that if he were elected, the cement barricades would be taken away. Granted this statement was made long before the attacks on America, some political leaders have taken up Dole's previous brazen attitude about security.

There was a time when even the White House was almost literally a public place. In 1829, newly inaugurated President Andrew Jackson held a reception in the White House in which gentlemen and rogues were counted in attendance. Things got so rowdy that drunks were engaging in fisticuffs and Jackson had to escape his new home through a side window.

The White House is now closed to tourists. The Hoover Building, which houses the FBI, has also canceled all public tours indefinitely. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing now requires visitors to call in a week in advance of their arrival to receive a confirmation number in order to tour the facility.

Museums and monuments that have remained opened have undergone some noticeable changes. Surrounding the Smithsonian Museums of Air and Space, American History and Natural History are large concrete blockades placed in around the buildings to prevent car bomb attacks. The Washington Monument's circle of American flags has been supplemented with these large sections of concrete.

The United States Capitol, a building rich in art, statues, and history was at one time one of the most publicly accessible governmental buildings. Visitors could enter the East entrance in a tour group, through one several doors in the US House or Senate wing, or go the underground way from one of the Congressional office buildings.

Once inside the Capitol, tourists enjoyed the liberty of being able to walk around most of the building without supervision. Only the offices and areas immediately around the chambers were roped off.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, a limited number of visitors must follow a routine that was similar to visiting the White House when it was open for tours. Visitors now need to arrive early in the morning and go to a booth outside of the Capitol for a ticket and then return later for a smaller tour of the rotunda and statuary hall leaving much of building off limits. Because of the new security measures, the Capitol subway is now restricted to congressmen and their staff.

There has also been increased security on the Capitol grounds with the new concrete obstacles in place and armed soldiers working security detail alongside the Capitol police.

The impact of the biological attack on the congressional offices are also noticeable. Though it was closed to everyone for a while, the US Senate Hart Office Building has reopened for members, staff and the public.

Still sealed off are Tom Daschle and Russ Feingold's offices, which were the first two US Senators to receive anthrax laced letters. Large signs placed in their office windows announce that the offices will be open in March after their "renovation." Another noticeable sign is one covering all of the mail drop slots stating that they are no longer to be used. Outside of some Congressional offices are signs stating that they will no longer accept packages or large envelopes. There are other procedures regarding congressional mail going on behind the scenes.

While I was in DC I read an article in the newspaper about the new "cooking" process all mail addressed to Congress will go through in order to destroy potential germ warfare agents in contaminated letters.

The world is far different from the days when Andy Jackson threw the nation's most famous White House keg party. There is no telling if the new rules on visiting the Congress and other sites will become permanent or will be gradually phased out when international tensions subside. Even though Washington itself was not attacked on September 11, the events of that fateful day has certainly made its mark on the city.