The Right Choice Is Not Always the Easiest One
After much debate, I have come to the difficult decision that I can no longer, in good conscience, continue to serve in my current capacity with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). I do not reach this decision lightly, as public service is a core component of who I am.
In fact, I have devoted the entirety of my adult life to serving the United States of America, from the time that I enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 27th, 2009, until this week when I submitted my resignation, a total of 17 years of federal service. While at the FHWA, I was was involved with oversight and coordination of grant programs administered through their Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty.
I have had the distinct honor to lead American Soldiers on missions to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and following my time in uniformed service, to build and strengthen the local communities that form the bedrock of our republic. During that time, I have missed birthdays, funerals, lost close friends, and lost my ability to run with my children or walk without significant pain due to injuries sustained in the service to my country and to the Constitution.
During that time, I have missed birthdays, funerals, lost close friends, and lost my ability to run with my children or walk without significant pain due to injuries sustained in the service to my country and to the Constitution.
I do not write these words to assert the moral high-ground or to seek to advance myself, simply to outline my firm belief and conviction in the institutions of government given to us by our forefathers.
It is precisely because I believe so strongly in the rule of law, the natural rights of all humans, and in the sanctity of our democratic form of government that I can no longer continue to serve in good faith. We are witnessing a profound change in the structure of our republic, and in the institutions that provided the promise of democracy and equality under law to the free world. I cannot continue to stifle my conscience and watch the institutions that I love, that made me who I am today, hollowed out by those who openly flaunt the law and, quite honestly, basic human dignity.
To be clear, my moral conundrum does not lie with the leadership of my agency, or with the dedicated, humble, and extraordinary public servants who I have watched give of themselves every day over the past five years of my time with FHWA. These people have inspired me with their competence and devotion, and it is something that I hope can survive the current assault on ideals of service over self.
As for me and my family, we will be ok. I will mourn this loss. I am bent but not broken. Please look out for each other and remember that you always have a choice in life. It may not be an easy or palatable choice, but you always have one, and when you choose to do the right thing, the rest can be figured out later.
