The cost to the taxpayer was just for the security, preventing a mass murder or an assasination.

I think that is reasonable.

Jim,
Can anybody remember ever being asked what they want

I assure you the media does its audience research.
If that was not what people wanted, some outlet would provided something else and cleaned up.
That did not happen.

BWM,
Which just goes to prove how many feeble-minded, easily-distracted suckers there are, whose intellect rises no further than 'bread and circus'.

Or to prove how out of touch you are with the ordinary people of this country.

Once again a discussion is dominated by the same group of people all holding the same utterly unrepresentative view.