This is dedicated to all federal workers who are currently under attack. More than 5,000 of them are here in Connecticut. The meme above may not cheer you up, but the post is intended to cheer you ON!
The first big assault came on January 28 when 2.3 million federal workers received a highly sketchy email, as disrespectful as it was threatening. It essentially said “Here’s the door, don’t let it hit you on the way out.”
Then they received an order to remove all gender pronouns from email signatures and other correspondence. This is all part of the so-called “culture wars.”
But it is far more dangerous and calculated than the culture wars. The president and his bevy of billionaires are dismantling government and attacking the foundations of our democracy (including a free press, co-equal branches of government, and the rule of law) in order to consolidate wealth and power for themselves.
Federal workers are on the front lines. But they are not alone. Americans are waking up to what’s really going on. And, as Americans we know that the most important pronouns have always been We/Our/Us:
- We the people
- Our Democracy, and
- Us defending the Constitution
Elon Musk refers to federal workers as “the opposing team.” Maybe that’s true if you are a billionaire with lucrative government contracts, own companies that pay no federal taxes, violate EPA rules, and collect huge government subsidies.
Federal workers do the work of the American people and they are the American people. You may already know that:
- The federal government is the nation’s largest employer
- Veterans make up one third of the federal workforce
- The Federal Merit System “endeavors to achieve a workforce from all segments of society.” This is a strength, not a weakness!
Many federal agencies and departments are mission-driven and the career civil servants who staff them are dedicated to those missions, often passing up more lucrative opportunities in the private sector. Before I retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VACT), I used to say, “I work at the VA but I work for veterans.” Most of my colleagues felt the same way.
Federal workers, you’re at the front of this assault on democracy. Stay strong. We need you. Know that many of us have your back and more will follow as your fellow citizens come to understand the truth.
The truth is “the opposing team” is US. This is OUR country and WE are not about to give it up to the likes of them!
Robin Gilmartin lives in West Hartford.