Protecting the President of the United States
John F. Kennedy once commented famously that as long as an assassin was willing to give his own life, killing the president was not impossible. That has turned out to be true for a lot of politicians around the world who, in spite of excellent security, have fallen victim to an assassin’s bullet or blast.
The President of the United States (POTUS) is the most protected person on earth (although up to this point Osama Bin Laden is doing pretty well too). His layered security extends from his very own personal space to a radius of several miles. Everything and everyone that even has a chance of getting near POTUS is checked and checked again by overlapping agencies – no stone is left unturned. For example, while POTUS is traveling, several hotels are completely emptied and cleared by cooperating agency professionals led by the U.S. Secret Service. Each building is then swept for bombs, hazardous materials and electronic surveillance devices. The actual hotel to be used is announced at the last possible minute. The same is done for presidential motorcades. Several routes are planned and secured in advance and the actual route is chosen at the last minute. Very little is predictable and this superior level of protection is in place no matter who occupies the Oval Office.
The President is the Most Protected Person on Earth
In spite of this, journalists keep unnecessarily raising the issue of protecting a hypothetical President Obama; implying that being black would make him an attractive target for would-be assassins. This is ridiculous. There are approximately 6 billion people in the world. I bet at any given time there are millions who would kill POTUS (regardless of who it is) if given the chance. The Secret Service knows this and plans accordingly. As a consequence, POTUS is the most protected person on earth.
As an example: a typical presidential motorcade consists of 20 to 30 vehicles. Have you ever wondered what’s inside all of those SUVs? The video below will give you a glimpse. Afterwards, I think you’ll agree that no matter whom the next president is – even if they’re the first woman or first African American – they can sleep well at night.
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.
Daniel Williams | Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Considering how most Americans are sleeping at night, what with worrying if their job will be there when they awake, it’s cold comfort that our president gets a peaceful 40 winks…