Today's inauguration of President George W. Bush is an important, symbolic ceremony for the nation to confirm the leadership of the country and, perhaps more than ever, the free world.
Unfortunately, it will also stand as a symbol of a changed world - one in which 100 square blocks of America's capital city will be blocked to public access and thousands of troops will be deployed to protect against the threat of terrorism.
If nothing happens, we can be grateful. We can say the precautions were necessary and prudent, and such massive security is simply a reality of the dangers of the day.
But we can't help feeling the ideal of America - the strength of believing in ourselves as the land of the free and home of the brave - is somewhat lessened when Washington, D.C., must resemble an armed compound for a presidential inauguration.
We're not saying authorities should ignore the risks and hazards that lie in a war with enemies who tend to prey on innocent bystanders unable to defend themselves. How can you argue with the assessment of someone like William Pickle, the U.S. Senate's sergeant of arms? "Just imagine the ramifications and repercussions if something were to happen... Law enforcement will always err on the side of safety."
Still, after a while it begins to add up: Pennsylvania Avenue permanently blocked off. Tours of the White House curtailed. The Statue of Liberty closed for nearly three years because of fears it couldn't be protected from terrorists.
While wars in Afghanistan and Iraq can, we believe, eventually be ended, there will be no such thing as an end to a war on terrorism. As long as there is some nut with a bomb, a risk remains to all citizens of the world.
Where America and George Bush can lead is by showing that threats do not curtail our freedoms.
