So, I’ve been talking to coworkers and other public servants about this whole vaccination thing. I’ve followed public discourse on this issue. And, I’ve come to the conclusion that we are now at a point that we have forgotten the core tenet of public service: we are there to serve and protect the general public.
One of the main ways we do this is by accepting vaccinations. By following the rules about masking. By leading by example. How can we possibly expect the general public to follow basic standards of public safety when we, as public servants, do not also model the kind of behavior we expect to receive ourselves?
We are responsible for the health and well-being of the general public because we of the positions we hold. Some of us take oaths to protect and serve the public good. Some of us take oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Some of us just want to help improve the lives of everyday Americans. And, on this point, I also want to remind everyone that we are all Americans. There is no distinction between “red” and “blue” in our service to the general public. We do not discriminate on the basis of political preference as we go about our daily job duties. We do not ask someone what their political preference is before we, as public servants, do our jobs.
One of the most important ways to protect the general welfare of the public we serve is to get vaccinated. Another important way we protect the general welfare of the public is by abiding by and enforcing mask mandates. Public health is not political. Public health is a public servant’s responsibility to maintain and encourage. Public health is everyone’s responsibility.
I’ve interacted too often with people who insist on conflating emotions with facts. These people insist that because they feel a certain way about an issue, that makes it divine truth. These people also tend to inject their egos into their feelings. We need to stop doing this. It is detrimental to political discussions, public health issues and the all-encompassing health of what it means to be American.
We are a nation built on the ideals that everyone is equal. Inclusion means everyone. Diversity respects everyone. It means that the loudest person in the room has just as much say as the most quiet person in the room. It means that while straight white guys may have been the historical epicenter of political power, they now need to share that political power with a broader, more diverse general public. It means that we all recognize each other as equal partners in this great experiment of American democracy.
To those civil servants who are anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and other anti-public health measures based on how you feel, check your egos at the door, just like you do in your daily dealings with the general public. Your ego, your feelings, while valid and intensely personal to you, do not have a place when it comes to serving the general public and protecting the general welfare of our communities.
