Capitol Barbed Wire Finally Gone

Finally! It’s beginning to look a bit more “normal” on Capitol Hill. Since January 6 the perimeter around the Capitol was surrounded by tall metal fencing with barbed wire on the top. Behind the fence were national guard troops with long rifles. The fence extended all the way to the Library of Congress where I worked for ten years. So anyone getting in to the building not only had to pass through that mess, but the magnetometer and security station as well. Independence and Constitution Avenues were blocked off so we couldn’t even drive in to our old neighborhood. Additionally, our favorite US Botanic Garden was off limits as well as the Capitol reflecting pool. So after a lot of badgering from the neighbors, the barbed wire came down followed by reestablishing a new blocked perimeter that encompasses the Capitol grounds alone, and frees up the space otherwise. So now one can at least walk on the Supreme Court and Library of Congress Jefferson building street. Whenever we drive in to DC we usually stop in or pass through our old neighborhood where we lived for thirteen years. For whatever reason it looks really tired and unkempt. Having a fence around it didn’t help much. 

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.