Once again, the fragility of our public spaces is laid bare, and conservatives must demand accountability over the chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. As CBS News’ Weijia Jiang recounted, gunfire erupted while she sat near President Trump, shattering the evening and exposing the persistent failure to secure even high-profile events. This isn’t just a security lapse; it’s a political flashpoint that fuels distrust in a government that can’t protect its own gatherings. This incident strikes at the heart of limited government and individual liberty—principles enshrined in our Constitution. When the state cannot ensure basic safety, it overreaches in other areas to compensate, eroding our freedoms under the guise of protection. We must insist on competence, not expanded power, to preserve the balance of federalism and personal responsibility. Conservatives know that security begins with a government that does its job without trampling our rights. Let this be a wake-up call: we will not trade liberty for false promises of safety, nor tolerate incompetence at the highest levels. Stand firm for a republic that protects, not oppresses.