And to the memory of my grandfather, who taught me to look up to people others looked down on, because we’re not so different after all - Bill Clinton

We have to do better. We have honest differences. We need vigorous debates. Healthy skepticism is good. It saves us from being too naive or too cynical. But it is impossible to preserve democracy when the well of trust runs completely dry.

A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.

They climb the stairs with the proper tactical approach, securing each staircase with a single soldier — a scout — before the rest of the team proceeds upward. There are blind spots everywhere. Ambush opportunities on each level. Their contact at the front desk has given an all-clear on the stairwells, but he is only as competent as the cameras he monitors.