A decade or so ago in Philadelphia when I first visited the
Liberty Bell you could walk right up and take a photo. In our post-Nine/Eleven America you
must first queue up and go through a security check. No food, beverages, explosives, firearms or knives are
permitted including, it turns out, the tiny Swiss Army type on my key
ring. When I asked the park ranger
if it would be permitted she stretched to her full five feet four, tucked in he
chin, straightened her ranger hat and in her most officious voice told me,
“Sir, you must go to security.”
Again I asked, “Is this allowed?”
“Sir, you must go to
security.” I suppose she didn’t
know the rules and was ashamed to say, “Boy, I don’t know. Why don’t you check with security?” I wonder the NPS gave her an extra
large uniform and she let her ego expand to fill it. Most of the park rangers we have met were wonderful and much
more patient than we had a right to expect. But not this one.
So I have a photo of Independence Hall – but not the Liberty
Bell. No big deal I guess. With so much of the Constitution on
hold its symbolism is largely meaningless. Instead we went to watch the Phillies and Mets. Baseball - now that’s America!
