Amid criticism about gun purchases and other things, the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly does some great work nationally and here in Kansas City. Aside from apprehending criminals of all shapes and sizes, the FBI conducts a program in Kansas City that provides a strong backbone for our community.
I speak of the FBI Citizens Academy, a program conducted twice yearly by the folks on the hill overlooking downtown from the west. I recently had the pleasure of completing an eight-week training session and attending a one-week trip to Washington, D.C. for academy graduates. We learned a lot of valuable information in the academy and had an awesome time in D.C., where we were treated to trips to the J. Edgar Hoover Building for some briefings and then traveled to the FBI Training Center in Quantico, Virginia, for a lot more valuable information. That was all mixed in with trips to the Holocaust Museum, the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress (who would have guessed that would be a major highlight in a trip full of highlights?), a couple of Smithsonian Museums and the American Indian Museum.
Throw in all the important monuments, the National Botanical Garden and the Capital Building tour, and it added up to quite a week. We even bumped into an old friend and former Kansas Citian, Jane Chu, still on task as chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, on the street and got her recommendation for a place to have dinner. I am glad to be back at work to rest my worn out feet! Fortunately, all the walking kept off the additional pounds that threatened to creep on from the great restaurants.
The FBI has a fan here who is happy to spread the word about the good work that it does.
