Staff Writer
In less than one day, two men were arrested for trying to break into
the White House. The first man, Oscar
Gonzalez, jumped the fence on Friday and was able to make his way into the
building through the front door. He was
tackled inside of the entrance, and was found to be carrying a small pocket
knife. Gonzalez reportedly spent 18
years in the military and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder
according to a family member. He had no
previous record of arrest and wanted to talk to Obama about his idea that “…the
atmosphere was collapsing.” While a
pocket knife doesn’t pose a huge threat to the White House, his car was later
searched and ammunition, hatchets, and a machete were found. The incident was treated
very seriously and most of the building was evacuated.
The second man, yet to be identified, walked onto the lawn of the White
House on Saturday. Later, he pulled up
into a vehicle screening area of the White House and wouldn’t leave. Ironically, the President left the White House
along with his family minutes before Gonzalez arrived and was still gone when
the second man attempted to break in.
These two arrests aren’t the only recent White House security breaches.
On September 11 a man was arrested on the house’s lawn. The man, Jeffrey Grossman, told security that
he wanted to talk to Obama about his mental health coverage. He attempted to check himself into a mental
health hospital but was unable to due to his healthcare coverage. Upon hearing about the event, his mother said,
“I want something positive to come from this.
I want people to know there are mental health issues out there. I’m
hoping for the best. And I hope that
maybe now he will get some long-term help.”
When thinking of the White House, most citizens would imagine it as one
of the most secure and protected buildings on the planet. However, these troubling events have led to
questions about safety with security and surveillance being increased.
