The April 11 political cartoon in The Signal by Jeff Stahler is a very sad commentary for the respect which is held by many for the White House, one of the great symbols of our country. We recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., and had the opportunity to tour the White House, having spent the past six months trying to secure tickets for this occasion. After contacting various political representatives and appealing to them for help in obtaining tour tickets, it came down to a local City Council member who was able to successfully help us with this request.
Far from being the “sausage factory tour” Stahler portrayed in his cartoon, we found the White House tour to be a leisurely event in which we were allowed to go on the self-guided tour at our own pace, take as many photos as we wished with our phone cameras, and have all of our questions answered by Secret Service personnel who were stationed in each of the rooms and hallways available for public viewing. After two hours we exited through the front door and, while standing at its entrance and looking out past the massive columns and across the grassy yard, we had our photo taken by another visitor and then walked down the steps and along the driveway lined with beautiful cherry trees in full blossom and thought of the incredible experience we had enjoyed and the history that has occurred at this very special place.
Becki and Roger Basham
Newhall
