从定义上讲，任何生长的东西都是活着的。华盛顿特区也不例外。作为活生物体，联邦政府的第一工作是自我保护。必须应对对其存在的任何威胁。
(Anything that grows is, by definition, alive. Washington, D.C. was no exception. As a living organism, the Federal Government's number one job was self-preservation. Any threat to its existence had to be dealt with.)