Lack of Communication

     Upon hearing that the security of the White House was breached, I didn't know rather to laugh, drop my jaw, or be mad!  I thought it only appropriate to write this post on the issue of interest.  Come to find out, someone with the Boston Globe feels the same way I do.  On 1 October, 2014 in the Editorial section of the Boston Globe, an article was published titled "Resignation Won’t Fix Secret Service Woes." If you can't tell from the title alone, you can see the way the author (and I) feels about this issue.  (I believe it was written by J. Scott Applewhite)
     So, on Sept 19th, a former war vet by the name of Omar Gonzalez not only scaled the fence, but made it all the way into the White House without a single bullet wound!  That is not the worst of it either.  Secret Service Director Julia Pierson is said to have resigned from her position (can't say that I blame her) since this all has happened.  The way I see it is that if she can't see to it that the security measures that have been proven to work for years, remain in place and are followed 100% of the time each and EVERY time, then there is no need for her anywhere near the White House.  She can just go work at McDonald's or mall security.
     Turns out they are adding extra layers of security to the security that was already in place.  However, like it even says in the article "What’s needed is a reexamination of an internal culture that permitted serious security breaches and a failure of communication with the members of Congress who are supposed to oversee the agency."  Which is a great point I think considering all the facts when you lay them all out on the table.
     1. Alarms that were supposed to go off once he scaled the fence were "muted" and never went off!
     2. Secret Service did not even communicate with the House Committee that the intruder had a
         knife.  In fact.  They told them the exact opposite!  That he in FACT did NOT have any
         weapon at all!!!
     3. Private (ARMED) Contractor Security Guard with 3 prior assault and battery convictions
         was allowed to ride in the elevator with the President and within arms reach of him just 3
         days prior to the intruder.  And you guessed it... Obama was not briefed on this direct breach of
         Secret Service protocol.
     There was a hyperlink in the article about the new security measures which I found to be a really important bit of information.  According to this one, Gonzalez "had been questioned in the past few months by Secret Service personnel outside the White House after they noticed him loitering. Mr. Gonzalez had not been arrested, nor was he told to stay away from the White House."
     I don't know... too much just isn't adding up here and something is smelling really fishy here and it seems to be screaming inside job to me! I am just not convinced that all of a sudden all the security measures that have been in place and worked for years just failed that one day for this one guy and for this one president.  Even more so... two separate incidents within three days of each other.  It just does not seem right.
     The guy really has hit it spot on in this editorial when he says, "The Homeland Security inquest may reveal a need to tweak the rules here or there. But above all, the Secret Service simply needs to carry out current policies — and own up to its failures, before both Congress and the general public."  I also agree with the fact that it is humiliating that a guy was able to scale the White House fence, but very troublesome that the whole truth and facts about the events and any security breaches is being withheld from the ones who have a right to know.  The ones who's lives are at risk.  The ones whos jobs it is to protect and serve the President, alongside him and the Country.  It is an utter disgrace.  The Secret service is NOT a job to take lightly and I think that everyone who was on duty the day of the breach and on that side of the mansion should be without a job.

Just for closing sake... I feel the need to post this last quote from this other article (non commentary) in the Washington Post on this issue about contact made Gonzalez before the incident.  This is just crazy.

"On Monday, federal prosecutors alleged that a man who jumped the fence and ran into the White House on Friday was keeping 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car, which was parked blocks away.

A prosecutor also said that the man, Omar Jose Gonzalez, 42, had been arrested in Wythe County, Va., in July while carrying a sawed-off shotgun and several other firearms, as well as a map with a line pointing toward the White House. And in August, Secret Service officers saw Gonzalez near the south fence of the White House, carrying a hatchet in the back waistband of his pants. Gonzalez agreed to let the officers search his vehicle, where they found camping gear and two dogs, then released him, a prosecutor said."