2 Years, 1 month, and 15 days. That’s how much time passed between the submission of my application and my first official day on the job. Federal government. I swear the clocks move slower and the calendars are longer in Washington, D.C. That being said, I know the next few years of my domestic assignment will pass quickly. Although I’ll technically be based out of the United States for the time-being, I will be frequently traveling the world on short and medium length trips. Occasionally I’ll even have time to sneak off for some sightseeing. But prior to jet-setting to all the worst and best places on the planet, and even prior to training, there is one unequivocally mandatory act to be completed: the oath of office.
After the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, the very first official law of the United States of America was passed by the First Congress in New York City and subsequently signed by President George Washington the following year. Known as the Oath Act, its purpose was to “regulate the Time and Manner of administering certain Oaths.”
We know the significance of oaths, swearings-in, and pledges in our present society. Understandably, however, our country’s leading piece of legislation did not rise to prominence until the outbreak of the Civil War more than 70 years after the bill became codified. The resultant decisions of President Abraham Lincoln and an emergency session of Congress in the early 1860s are still evident today, with the words “against all enemies, foreign and domestic” as one example. See below for the exact oath undertaken by me and my colleagues this week, while keeping in mind its relationship to the words spoken by our forefathers a few hundred years ago.
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Notwithstanding the fact that it is quite cold in January, physically being in Washington, D.C. (albeit temporarily) as a new employee of the U.S. federal government is a feeling that is difficult to describe. Yes it’s easy to make quips about politics and the state of affairs in this country; but despite all that, this is the epicenter of America. It’s impossible to turn a corner without seeing a structure or monument dedicated to the freedoms and values we stand for. I now have a badge granting me access to some of those very buildings. I am walking on carpet worn down by policymakers who affect our daily way of life. Sitting at the desks surrounding me is the next generation of citizens committed to preserving what we cherish most. After spending so many years of my life trying to make a difference in my community and home state, it is surreal to know I am now doing it for the entire country and soon, the world.
The Dark Passport 