These comments all convince me that this is not a security issue, but a political issue. National is no more safe or unsafe than other airports; the problem is that someone at a high pay level thinks that the "targets" in DC are of a "higher" value than other cities. As a federal gov't employee in DC, I can tell you all that it is no fun to realize suddenly that large commercial jets may be falling out of the sky at any moment aimed at your building or block. But I also beleive that in a democracy no government can take the position that protection of the government (or governemnt officals to get to the real issue) matters more than the protection of the public. Depotisms and tyrannies place protection of the "state" over protection of the public; and I belieive and hope that as soon as more people start criticizing the Administration for protecting itself more than it protects the people, that reason will return, National will be re-opened, and we'll all be back in the same boat, as we should be in a democracy. As for those of us who live and work in DC, the most likely next ground zero, we will prepare as best we can (thinking about escape routes is pandemic), but we will stay here at outr duty stations doing our jobs......