Once again hypervigilant, underactive, paranoid,, if not simply stupid, police forces over-reacted to a backpack left on the White House sidewalk by some awe struck elementary school visitor to the "People's House."

Well, sure, arguably this backpack may have contained a portable nuclear explosive …which might have spelt trouble.

On the other hand it might have only contained a conventional explosive devise; in which case its positioning against the retaining wall would have protected the White House from any damage.

Thus, arguably, security-conscientious zealots may have felt vindicated in sending in dozens of police officers and special operations people, at considerable expense to US taxpayers, in order to verify that the schoolchild's back was, indeed, a schoolchild's backpack.

Once again, the big scare was nothing more than some kid's misplaced lunch.