By Danielle Politi
When a man (click here) carrying a knife was able to jump the fence and sprint into the front door of the White House, many said it was symptomatic of larger issues with the Secret Service. A fascinating Washington Post piece today makes it clear just how true that is, recounting how it took four days for the Secret Service to even realize that someone had fired shots at the White House and that seven bullets had struck the upstairs residence in 2011. President Obama and his wife were out of town at the time but their younger daughter Sasha was at home with Michelle Obama’s mother. And Malia was expected back home any minute....
There is no doubt the White House has to be the most secure building in the country. To that end the real problem may be the building itself. It has bulletproof glass and to realize the window might have worked to stop the bullet is some relief.
In the picture above of the White House is the Truman Balcony. It is the place where a gunman was attempting assassination in 2011 before the elections. Why the Truman Balcony? Because it is the only part of the White House visible enough to take a shot. The trees are growing and are a natural cover for the building in regard to gunmen.
And I mean a complete assessment of the safety of the structure, including the color of the House. The name probably needs to be updated as well to "The President's Residence" or "The First Family's Homestead' or Abode or Domicile.
It just seems to me there should be something less obvious. It has so many functions. It is where the First Family lives, but, White House dinners are there and foreign dignitaries are greeted there. There are many moving parts and add to that now snipers.
If security experts from a few companies would provide insight and recommendations the best option could be decided. It just seems to me there are answers to be learned about the condition of this building for 2014 threats.
I don't think this is a good topic for politics, but, it is one serious enough for investigation.
