Our Homeland

By Renee Shay, Harvesting Thought

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OUR HOMELAND – Today marks a day of personal freedom from tyranny for me.  No way in over two decades of work did I ever see leaving my federal government career for that reason.  Misogyny and toxic leadership, yes.  A few bad leaders from time to time made me question my career choice, yes, but tryanny?  This is not hyperbolic testimony, there will be many more speaking out soon, you will see, I am not alone with this experience I share with you.

I volunteered for early retirement from service this spring and yesterday was officially my last day after 23+ years of fighting the War On Terror post 9/11.  When Elon Musk sent his Department of Government Efficiency, “fork in the road” email to all federal employees soon after the current president was sworn in for his non-consecutive second term, expecting us to pledge our “loyalty” to the current executive branch (Trump administration) or quit.  I decided to retire.

I knew when I read that DOGE email it was the beginning of the end of my career.  I knew no matter the personal cost to myself and my family, protecting my integrity was worth more than selling my soul to the republican leader expecting loyalty.  I would not stay and serve in silence for a paycheck.  I had preached integrity as any leader should, every day.  It was one of my agencies core values and I did my best to hold myself to its high standard.  When the opportunity to retire early came, this time I took it.

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This year is like no other.  Let me repeat, this year, 2025, is like no other.  If the news headlines are not enough to prove to you something is off, read Project 2025 as that will help you understand what is going on.

I understand how the federal government should work and loyalty to an administration, that was not what I signed up for.  When the new expectation came in that we needed to be loyal, I was sickened.  This was not what I worked for while working under three other previous presidents (Bush, Obama, Biden) and even under Trump during his first term, no!  I did not have to like the man but I did have to respect the office.  I was supposed to be loyal to our Constitution only!  Now, this is not at all how the United States governs, at least until now.

On September 1, 2002, less than a year after 9/11, I had risen my right hand and took an oath, “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…,” not to bend a knee to a political party decades later, not then, nor now!

Civil servants and our military are supposed to be by design, non-partisan.  They have to be fully committed to their job no matter who is elected to sit in the Oval Office.  Americans deserve nothing less!  Of course, we have our opinions, that is human.  Of course, we could vote, that is our right.  But we were supposed to keep politics out of the office.  Until now.

Everyday since I was sworn in, I had to think about 9/11.  From the time I woke up to the time I went to bed, in my dreams, in my spare time, all day at work, all day off the clock.  People think government employees are lazy.  You tell me that to my face and I will tell you you are crazy!  Some of the hardest working people under the worst conditions are government employees.  Go to work without knowing when you will get paid, let’s see how long you would last during a shutdown.

I know I was part of something bigger than myself working to safeguard our freedoms so it was worth the sacrifice, all the criticism, all the jokes, all worthwhile.  As one toxic leader once said to headquarter employees facing downgrades and potential job loss or change of positions, “don’t expect cake and balloons from the agency” the agency doesn’t care.  Sure shit he didn’t care either.

Many people are naive and that’s okay.  They have no idea the heavy burden to have to worry about the next terror attack coming from any person, any day.  Our frontline opens hundreds of thousands of bags, screens mostly grateful but many ungrateful people, and looks for explosives and weapons, every day.  If that is not a dangerous profession, thankless profession, then I don’t know what is.  

It is personally unfortunate that I leave behind an incredible team of dedicated civil servants.  We were a great team and I miss them all.  I wish I was still there to support them as I know they are going through challenging times.

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The greater loss is actually to all the American people as many civil servants have left government this year, by the playbook design of Project 2025.  Think about this, counting up all the years of service and institutional knowledge they take with them, what a shame!

Musk eagerly did Trump’s bidding with the fork in road message this year without hesitation and look where it has gotten us.  He is no longer “working” for the government.  Not to mention, another shutdown out of the now tyrannical government administration, puppeteering not for the American people but for the founders of Project 2025.

The oath I took all those year’s ago to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic does not end today.  I will move forward with renewed focus on combatting domestic enemies of our Constitution, our Freedom, even if it means going up against the very thing I was just freed from!

My pledge:  I will let my pen be my sword as I know there has never been a war won with blood on the tip of a spear.