I'm from the government and..

   I'm from the government and I'm here to help!” Those words tend to bring a smile to the faces of some, create instant  panic in the minds of others or might even cause one to reach for a gun or rifle. What has happened over the years for many Americans to lose faith in their government. Were we not taught in school that government in general and democracy, specifically, was a good thing. Wasn't government by the people suppose to be for  the people, provide a structure of law and order and insure the safety and welfare of all the citizen, regardless of race, sex, religious belief or age?

    But it doesn't seem to make any difference whether it's at the local, state or federal level, 'government' has become, in the minds of many, a dirty word. Was all that learning in school just a waste of time or did we skip the last chapter in the textbook in order to go out and play at recess?

   For the past several weeks I have been working for a company that has a federal contract to complete a survey for one of the large governmental agencies in Washington, D.C. It is a nation-wide survey and I do believe the results will be important, otherwise I might be at home working in the garden or drinking ice tea and reading a good book.

   The name of the company and the agency are not important, but my personal experiences into the work so far has revealed just how skeptical and angry some people have become about 'their' government.

   To put things into a bit of a context, for those who do not know me that well, my work and career experiences have spanned a number of different jobs and professions. But the one element they all had in common was that I was interacting with people all the time. Whether it be teaching, meeting with angry or hostile parents, speaking before groups or even 'cold-calling', I have had some experience with people in different situations and under some often unique circumstances and feel that I have had some degree of success. Even if someone said “no,” it could still be a positive and learning experience both for them and  me.

  While  I am now retired, I thought that this current position would give me the opportunity to learn something new, meet new people and offer community service that, in the long run might provide important and valuable information to Congress  and others making decisions in Washington. I know it is just a very small contribution and may not change the course of human events, but...one never knows!

    Four weeks in and many folks have at least answered the door and taken the time to talk with me. A number have agreed to participate in the survey, some very enthusiastically I might add, and I appreciate that. But there are others....

   High atop a hill at the end of the dirt road in a rural community was a small machine shop. Loud music blared from the workshop and I saw someone peek out from behind the curtain covering the  window. ( I looked around for unleashed dogs!) Then I noticed the two semi-automatic rifles mounted on the garage door. A statement or not, I decided not to stick around to find out.

    I have always tried to treat people with the highest level of respect and professionalism, regardless of the situation, and have come come to expect the same in return. Silly me! But when someone turns their back on me, walks away while I am answering the question they asked me, points to the exit and shuts the office door, I am not sure this demonstrates respect and professionalism, this behavior coming from a school administrator. Is this the type of role model we want for our children. Is this the way the administrator greets parents and children or was it just a bad day? Does he really dislike 'his' government that much that this is how he treats those who might represent it? Do we have a new standard of behavior here!

  A number of those I have spoken with have raised concern about the waste of money in government, i.e. the money spent on surveys like this. But after a brief explanation and my reassurance of the validity of the study (sometimes it is good to have some name recognition and credibility), they agreed to at least look at the material and suggest I  call back in a day or two.

    The first 45 seconds of  meeting someone is key to establishing  some level of rapport and I understand why some may not want to become involved. Being a good listener helps too. But I have found that people are not shy about expressing their frustration with the current state of affairs within the government and I admit I have my own concerns at times as well. But why this sudden and rapid increase level of skepticism and anger.  What has gone wrong. Did we not read the final chapter in the civic text? Perhaps that is a topic for a future blog.

    But for now, if I knock on your door, please don't slam the door in my face. I am just doing my job.