Nobody likes the idea of our nation’s Capitol or our state capitols surrounded by chain link fences and barricades. These are the “people’s houses,” where the representative they elect go to enact laws. People should have access to do what the first amendment says they have the right to do — “peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

But in recent years, as the George Floyd demonstrations and ultimately the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol have shown, a lot of demonstrators are not looking to peaceably assemble. Those who do are often joined by those who don’t. So, for the past year, security fences have surrounded the Minnesota State Capitol building. They recently came down, but now are going back up as threats have been heard to occupy the Capitol in protest of the Line 3 oil pipeline project. U.S. Capitol Police are also beefing up security in view of a Sept. 18 protest being planned to seek justice for those being arrested and prosecuted for the Jan. 6 riots.

If this is what America is coming to, we can expect to see more permanent security systems surrounding our public buildings. It sort of takes the brilliance off these magnificent and important buildings to have them hidden behind permanent fencing and barricades.