A fictional, yet entirely possible exchange between a family visiting Washington and a cynical resident:

Parent: Isn’t this beautiful, kids? The seat of the federal government, the home of our country’s democratic institutions, buildings and buildings of government officials and contractors tirelessly working to make us all safer. Inspiring, simply inspiring.

Child: Yeah. Hey Mom, what’s that train with all those tanks attached to it, passing within stone’s throw of the Capitol?

Cynical Resident: Well kids, that’s 90 tons worth of chlorine which, if attacked, could kill upwards of 100,000 people in less than an hour. Isn’t that inspiring?

Dramatic? Probably. Realistic? Entirely.