Does this man work in government?
Back when I felt compelled to enter political debates on Facebook, one of my conservative friends chimed in on a post I had regarding something about the government (probably me expressing my wistfulness for a health care public option). My good friend comes from the Ronald Reagan “government is the problem” line of thinking and commented something to the effect that the government can’t do anything right.
Even though we don’t see eye to eye on many political points he’s still a friend and I do respect him. It was all that I could do, though, to keep from pointing out that as a first-responder he actually works for the government. Not only does he work for the government, for all practical purposes he is the government. He is the public face of government to the people he serves.
That’s not to demean the work he does, of course. It’s important work. I just have a hard time understanding how conservative individuals who work for the taxpayers belittle the very government that they, themselves, make up. What accounts for this self-loathing?
I spoke with a friend in the DC area who noted with irony the hordes of supporters at a Trump rally who would then return to their jobs in the very government they had just railed against. Hate yourself much?
Look, freedom of speech is arguably the greatest freedom Americans have. You can support whom you want and say what you want (within reason). Go for it. It’s only when you don’t see that what you’re speaking out against happens to be you that I start to scratch my head.
And this goes for anyone whose paycheck comes in large part from taxpayers. All those defense contractors, fat with cash? Guess where that cash comes from? Civil engineering firms? Construction firms? Aggregate firms? If your paycheck depends on the government to the extent that if you lost that government contract you’d be out of a job, guess what? You are a de facto part of the government, and while freedom of speech allows you to bust on the government all you want you are essentially busting on yourself.
So, conservative government workers, keep on biting the hand that feeds you. This is America and free speech is your right. Just don’t be surprised if you look like a dumbass for doing it.