Porter Goss: “the Nation's Capital is famed for its parks and wide open spaces. The Mall, the area between this Capitol and the…”

“the Nation's Capital is famed for its parks and wide open spaces. The Mall, the area between this Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, is one of the most venerable and most visited of our alabaster city's sights and all Americans have a right to enjoy it. Of course, we have to ensure that one set of rights does not outweigh another. Today, a walk down The Mall suggests that we have lost our balance on that score. Simply put, large parts of The Mall have become a disorderly tourist trinket bazaar. This famous open space has become haven to countless unsightly, makeshift tables and weather covers from which temporary vendors push their merchandise in an atmosphere of cacophony and hustle. Those vendors, it seems, secured U.S. Park Service permits under their first amendment rights. As an ardent defender of the Constitution and its amendments, I certainly support the right to free speech. But Americans also have a right to and an expectation of unobstructed, safe, and peaceful use of their national parks. Especially one with such majestic monuments. I hope we can restore some balance and find a more suitable spot to relocate the tourist merchants while there is still summer ahead to enjoy The Mall peacefully.”