A Barricaded Capitol Campus

I can see why the neighbors are so upset. The barbed wire fence surrounding the Capitol complex looks treacherous. We took a ride in to town and could barely drive anywhere near our old neighborhood - never mind trying to walk in our old footsteps. From a distance it looks like it always did. But now the streets are blocked off several blocks around the Capitol building that also includes the Supreme Court, the senate and house office buildings, and all the Library of Congress buildings. Underground are tunnels that connect all of these buildings. I know because I worked at the library for ten years. At every so many feet are national guards posted with their long rifles - something I would never have imagined happening or seeing here. Just two blocks from our old house is the barbed wire fence and guards surrounding the Madison building that I worked in. I’m just happy we don’t live there anymore. Getting in and out of the area is a major hassle and the fence is a dismal reminder of the state of affairs. So when we spent the morning walking around the WWII Memorial and Washington Monument I asked my husband which end of the National Mall he prefers. He said the Capitol end of course. Even with this mess going on it is such a familiar place for us. Hopefully it can come to some semblance of normalcy soon.