D.C. Cops

The current whirlwind seems to have slowed long enough for a bit to drop out and settle into my blog.

Today’s nugget: photos from our Washington, D.C. trip last month.  Our week in the capital gave me plenty of chances to line up shots with my new camera. Shots of art,

and of artists,

of Paul Blart and the Mall

of two sets of sisters

of special people and historic edifices

But my favorite photo of all was mostly an accident.

John, Erica, and I stumbled across an anti-war protest taking place in front of the Treasury Building. After spending a week immersed in our nation’s founding documents and principles, including a close look at the original Bill of Rights, here was an example--right in front of us--of people exercising their right to peaceably assemble. But the protesters were ringed by burly D.C. cops who refused to let us or anyone else join the gathering.   What's up with that?  What about my right to assemble?

I worked up my nerve to ask one of the gendarmes.  Turns out the assembly wasn’t peaceable.  Paint balls had been thrown at policemen, protesters defaced public property, and arrests were made as we watched.

Arrest photo by Erica

After a bit of cautious onlooking, we went on our way, past the White House, where sharp shooters stood by, surveying the surrounding terrain from Obama's rooftop.

D.C. security protection was out in full force, some observing the protest while others waited quietly in the wings. We turned a corner to discover thirty or forty more policemen and women, passing the afternoon just out of sight in case things got out of hand.

photo by Erica

Then we lost Erica.  One moment she was striding alongside us toward the metro station; the next instant she was not. I looked back, and got a chance to take my favorite photo of the entire week.

Apparently Erica asked some of the gathered power if she might take their pictures. I was out of earshot for the ensuing conversation. I only know that it had something to do with a policemen urging Erica to put him on her Facebook page, and that there was a lot of merriment.

The photo still makes me laugh. The girl does, too. Thanks, Erica.