In the two weeks before Independence Day, the United States saw some major changes: Confederate battle flags furling where they had proudly flown, gay men and lesbian couples marrying where they had been barred and--in another watershed moment--tourists beginning to Instagram from inside the White House. The Obama administration's choice to lift a 40-year-old ban on photography during public tours is a gift to the people that comes at no cost at all.
Last Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama announced the big moment for social media on, of course, social media. In an Instagram video, she tore up a sign displaying the now-abolished rule.
The move showcases some political savvy on President Barack Obama's part. Critics who call out the administration for a lack of transparency, at least, are sure to take a hit: The chance to take photos during White House tours has a measurable--and tweetable--effect on civilian lives. White House visits are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for many Americans.
Concerns over flash photography that inspired the ban seem antiquated today, when a silent and flashless photo is just a tap of the finger away. Worries about security--that someone, perhaps, could document the residence's interior to find vulnerabilities--hold little weight when the White House is already so extensively photographed by administration photographers and party attendees.
Editorial on 07/07/2015