From a pretty young age, I have known that I have wanted to work somewhere in the government. Daunting aspirations of being the first female president were watered down to a big-shot state senator, then to a lesser-known state representative and finally to a small-scale government position somewhere in the jumble of that which is the monster of American bureaucracy. While some could look at these changes and see a loss of passion or ambition, I see them as a fine-tuning of my values.
For me, the real important work of the government is not the over-the-top speeches done by politicians or grand (and often unattainable) promises of a greater future, it is the everyday work of bureaucrats that helps maintain the institutions of democracy and better their communities. The laws we experience every day are worked on tirelessly by behind-the-scenes actors who are often unknown. However, it seems as if recently the invaluable actors of lower-level bureaucracies and lawmaking are being fired, ridiculed and even injured in their line of duty. It is with a heavy heart that I turn to look at the violence and disintegration that has pierced government work in the recent political atmosphere.
The shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers
It seems as if political violence has been at an all-time high recently. Big headlines around the shooting at Republican President Donald Trump’s July 13, 2024 rally and the assassination of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk have begged the questions of whether political violence is increasing and, furthermore, what to do about it. While these acts of political violence are important and not to be overlooked, they are not representative of the entire story regarding this newfound epidemic. Lesser-known acts of political violence, especially those against Democratic and left-wing politicians, may be able to better shed light on the full story.
In the early morning of June 14, Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark Hortman, as well as Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, were shot by a man trying to inflict fear on elected officials. John and Yvette Hoffman were thankfully able to recover from their injuries; however, Mellissa Hortman and her husband passed away. While I would like to say the loss of two lives in a targeted act of political violence gripped the nation, in reality, it faded into the background amongst the ever-growing list of shootings in America. As someone who prides themself on being caught up on the news in America, I was shocked that I missed something as important as this. President Trump himself seemed indifferent to the news, claiming in a recent Oval Office briefing that he did not know who Hortman was and refusing to mandate a day of half-staffed flags.
The firing of federal workersÂ
As of June this year, around 59,000 federal jobs have been systematically removed under the instruction of the Trump Presidency. The Department of Health and Human Services laid off nearly 10,000 people in an attempt to cooperate with Trump’s demands to shrink the agencies within the government. Ten thousand people who previously had full-time work that gave them health care, benefits and a retirement plan were suddenly left with nothing. Working in the government sector used to be considered a relatively safe and stable job. Now, under the new administration, that idea has been turned on its head and has left people wondering if their agency or job will be next to go.
Why are we shrinking down the agencies that support the American bureaucracy and subsequently the American people? These agencies are vital, and the downsizing of them is another aspect of the deterioration of institutions that keeps our democracy functioning. Our institutions that kept American values safe for over a hundred years are crumbling, and crumbling with them is the stability and effectiveness of the American government to help people.
The impacts on future workers
These acts are not only devastating when taken at face value, but also when looked at through the lens of our future lawmakers and government workers. I imagine many others like myself with aspirations of working in the government with the intention to help people being dissuaded by the violence and disrespect shown to those currently in these positions. It is not only the atmosphere of our government that we need to be worried about, but also the future before us that will see thousands of true and good-hearted individuals leave behind their dreams for safer and more reliable careers.
These fears of violence and instability have been considerations in my own life. I look now to other career possibilities and avenues, ones that may offer a better life for my future partner and kids. My core desire to help people has not changed, but how can government workers, both current and aspiring, help others when it seems we cannot even help ourselves?