Sign of the Times?

You know those signs that seem to adorn every federal building, at least in the Washington area? The plain, gray, extremely functional, just-the-facts, relic-of-the-70s slabs that identify federal buildings? At first glance, they'd appear to be indestructible.

But the Washington Post reports today on the curious case of one of the signs, in front of IRS headquarters downtown. It was suddenly and mysteriously ripped apart last month, and now stands as a shredded hulk of its former self -- and possibly a symbol of public attitudes toward all of government right now. This being the IRS, after all, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that a disgruntled taxpayer simply couldn't take it any more and took a sledgehammer to the sign in the dark of night.

But nothing that nefarious or symbolic actually happened, the IRS insists. Officials say the sign was ripped apart in the high winds that tore through the Washington area on Feb. 25. Since the gales did reach as high as 65 miles per hour that day, it's certainly a plausible explanation. Still, the IRS won't agree to show the security footage confirming it, so, really, who knows?