Protecting our President

I just watched two television documentaries - one about the Secret Service, the other about Air Force One. Protecting the President and other government officials is not the only job of the Secret Service, but it is certainly the one most publicized. Air Force One is, of course, the President’s aircraft. Specifically, Air Force One is the designation of any aircraft the President is aboard, but it usually refers to the 747 extremely customized to become the President’s “mobile White House” In fact, there is also a complete backup 747. Both are prepared for use at any moment.

The preparations for and execution of plans for any movement of our President have become so comprehensive and so elaborate that the result appears maniacal. When the President drops in at a football game, or makes a short speech somewhere, that often unimportant jaunt sets into action a team of hundreds of elaborately-trained specialists, working for weeks in advance. It involves personnel from four military services, the Secret Service, the FBI, and local law enforcement agencies, all coordinating their activities simply to protect the President. Each touchdown includes several huge transport planes carrying a fleet of custom vehicles for ground transportation, tons of equipment, dozens of agents, and advanced weaponry, detection and communications equipment, including special explosive-detecting dogs.

Behind the scenes are teams of people needed just to clean, maintain, and resupply that force of hardware and people. Every item involved is state of the art and no detail is left unattended. Undercover Secret Service agents carefully, and randomly, purchase the President’s food. Literally hundreds of specialists do nothing else except prepare for the next Presidential jaunt. Taken in total, the simplest of Presidential movements is an elaborate spectacle that would make even the ascension of a new Pope seem unplanned and extemporaneous.

These massive undertakings do indeed have the feeling of worship. Agents are selected and trained to give their lives to protect the President. I have no doubt that if one asked all of them to die simultaneously to save the President, they would all step forward… to protect the life of one man.

Certainly I understand the symbolism of protecting the elected leader of a nation, which translates to protecting a single person, but the measures applied to our Presidential protection have grown to insane proportions… and to insane costs. When the President, who is, under all of the pomp, a politician, makes a visit to your city to promote one of his party’s local candidates, it is one of the most blatant and unjust political moves possible. The huge cost will be borne by all taxpayers, including those who oppose the current President, and those who oppose the candidate he’s flying in to promote.

While the rest of us make our way through life, surviving by our own wits and cautions, we allow our one “leader” to luxuriously manipulate current and future events, at our expense. While we wait in airport security lines (or lines at any other government facility), and submit ourselves to searches, our Executive has someone to do virtually everything for him… at our expense. I often wonder whether there is an official Presidential ass-wiper. There is an Air Force non-com who cleans his toilet, and a personal Air Force steward who does gawd knows what for him.

This pandering to the President is a religion. He is treated like a god. Citizens flock to get a glimpse. Those with some “in” (usually involving money) may get to shake his hand. Those who pay enough may get to sleep in the same building. Certain media people become part of the privileged entourage. Guess how well they remain objective in their reporting when ill chosen words may result in losing that privilege.

Hated by much of our population, and certainly hated by many more around the globe, yet treated like a god. Currently, a man some think may actually be insane. A man whose resume’ is, aside from being the son of another President and a very connected politician, no more impressive than the resume’ of your nearby used-car salesman. Despite all that, a man who is surrounded by a huge organization whose job it is to do no less than worship, serve, and protect him. Well… they are all being well paid to do it, at our expense.

How would I deal with the Presidential security problem?

If there is so much danger to our President that such unbelievable measures are really needed to protect him (and we might all consider how he could elicit such widespread hatred), then I would choose to confine the President to the White House for his term of office. The Presidency is, after all, a job, very well paid, with luxurious and historic surroundings. The term of office is the same as most military people oblige themselves to, and they stay on the job for the whole term. The White House is a complete residence/office with abundant servants and staff. Anyone who wants to meet with the President can easily do so there, and being far less hated, none of them require such security.

So, Mr. President – just stay at the magnificent home provided for you. Giving up a little freedom is simply necessary for security purposes. You’ve told us that it’s a small price to pay. Learn to live with it, like the rest of us.