The View from a Place Where You're Not

I am hitting up downtown DC fresh from four years of NYC-immersion, and in some ways this change is hitting hard! I expected a smooth transition, but everyday my ears are hungry for city clamor in this quiet Foggy Bottom neighborhood, and my imagination strips down every monotonous suit that strides by me on the sidewalk, wondering who they really are, and what are they really up to? Despite DC's undeniable diversity there exists a palpable sense of conformity and subservience that dictates and seems to restrict people’s self-expression. Maybe my perception is just skewed?

In NYC, graffiti tags the lampposts and sidewalks, and overtakes the walls of faded promo posters, proclaiming mysteriously anonymous statements of revolution to all who pass by. And the people aren't afraid to be themselves, unashamed. In one stroll down St. Marks one will meet the bright sari of a Hare Krishna devotee who steps by a coked-out homeless punk rocker who asks for change from a Ukrainian grandmother who shuffles her way through bickering high school sweethearts in chunky neon Nikes and Kanye glasses. All at once, everyone feels entitled to say and be who they are, how they feel, what they want, and oftentimes with a undeniable immediacy and urgency. And for the most part, we all get along just fine!

I assume I will eventually find and encounter this beautiful urban phenomenon in DC neighborhoods as I branch out, but so far I find that in downtown DC there are clean streets, bare walls, and many people in nice suits and clicking heels.

Is DC really so different from NYC? I am immediately reminded of those clever HSBC ads and back down from passing any judgment on my new townspeople. Maybe we just understand our potential for self-expression in different ways?

As I strip away my judgments on superficial differences between the two places, I discover a core concept: the expression of “power.” Power - ownership, decision-making, expression - manifests itself quite different in each city. Power seems more subtly possessed in DC, and authority more respected. I have far more to absorb regarding this complicated web of loyalties and appointments, but I can see distinct differences so far. NYC feels like a perpetual power of the people, whereas DC seems to run under the power of the machine. Perhaps we could think of it in the following terms...


Almost all of our beautiful 52 scholars will start their jobs this week, from positions in Departments of the Treasury, Education, and Transportation, to the World Bank, to various non-profits and government agencies. We will all be diving into and becoming part of this machine in some way or another, and thankfully in our escapades through our first week in the District our Truman programming and meetings have reinforced the nuanced nature of power in DC. Our events specifically challenged me to rethink my imperfect assumptions about possessing and practicing power in the realm of public service, and here I share with you some select reflections. Participation and provocation is encouraged so please comment if you have thoughts to contribute!

1. Don’t Judge a Book: Suter v. Stacey

Tuesday, I walked quickly up First Street, heels clicking the uphill pavement path as I pass by the Library of Congress, and turn to face the Supreme Court pillars, past which we would be allowed an hour to speak with Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. Introducing our guest speaker of the morning was Major General William Suter, Clerk of the US Supreme Court, who greeted our group with an obvious dedication for pursuing the constitutional mission of the Court and an undeniable enthusiasm for explaining this mission to others.

Clearly a conservative man, Suter must not have considered to caliber of his crowd: though we affiliate with a mix of parties, we are a diverse group of innovative and forward-thinking public servants. Therefore myself and some others were taken aback when , in describing the public perception of the Supreme Court, Suter denigrated bloggers and political scientists, disparaged the New York Times, and cursed the advances being made in communications and information technology. Although I uphold an immense respect for the work of the Court and the Constitution, and although he claimed time and again “There are no politics here,” I felt insulted as he continued to try and persuade our group that there is indeed an apolitical and universal notion of truth and justice.

Take for example the 1990 decision in Employment Division v. Smith. Fact: Certain Native American religious ceremonies necessitate the sacramental use of peyote. Fact: Peyote is an illegal drug in the state of Oregon, where Smith ingested the drug during such a religious ceremony. What are the facts and what are the opinions here? Is the free exercise clause the fact or the filter through which facts are processed into court rulings? I am not criticizing Scalia or his Opinion in Employment Division v. Smith, but I am saying that two facts directly opposed and one person’s opinion determined which fact would reign as truth, as opposed to two opinions opposing and one fact determining which opinion correlates with the fact.

Suter's words of wisdom therefore felt a bit insincere, when so many interests are undeniably always at stake, and ‘facts’ always at odds. "You are always entitled to your own opinion,” he said graciously, “But you are never entitled to your own facts." Was this really the most powerful statement he could muster to our group of young public servants from his decades of dedication to our nation? Is not the whole complication of politics and power that there are indeed clashes between overlapping sets of factual information that must be mediated? Is not this the challenge of constructing effective public policy? If there were a single set of incontestable facts, for what does a government even exist?

Justice Thomas came through and offered a bit more accurate and realistic view of the court, mostly by warning us time and again as we probed our questions into the abilities and real purpose of the Court: “Be careful what you are asking of the Court because you must imagine that whatever power you give to me, I will use to do the opposite of what you want.” Straightforward and focused in his thinking, and fiercely loyal to his family and community roots in his heart, Thomas also left us with more appropriate words of wisdom, that left an indelible mark on my service psyche: "Instead of arguing about your stance on an issue, ask yourself, 'What have I done to live up to what I have been given?' "

Later in the day we enjoyed the most real explanation of power dynamics over lunch and a discussion with 1994 Truman Scholar Stacey Abrams, House Rep for 84th District in the Georgia General Assembly. Stacey has an incredible grasp over the concept of holding public office in our federalist system, and communicated to us a far more realistic version of public service than Suter attempted to sugarcoat to us. Her version consequently was messy and complicated, but felt much more genuine.

"There are three core things any public servant needs to have covered," she claimed, “You must know YOUR beliefs, you must not believe too many beliefs, and you must understand how others think and believe.” I asked her how she stays grounded as she moves up in power and inevitably farther away from the hands-on community work that may have inspired her beliefs. “Surround yourself with people who do not think you're so wonderful!,” she exclaimed, and then made a statement I have never heard a leader admit before, and I respect her immensely for doing so. “Early on,” she said, “Make the decision not to KEEP your job, but to DO your job.” It was as if Professor BDM was speaking through her his theory of the selectorate, and the truth that desire for political survival all too often taints good and encourages bad policies.

So who would have thought a triple minority (young, black, female) House Representative would communicate the challenges of public service more clearly and truly than a long time player in the game? Don't judge a book!

2. Everyone Will Never Love You

New York can oftentimes become image-obsessed, and if you make it with the 'in' crowd, you are in! Whether you get a positive New York Times theater review of your piece or a nod from a celebrity on your current project, your legitimacy skyrockets and you find less and less criticisms as folks adopt the new trend. There is a similar way of working in the political atmosphere and managing and manipulating power in public office from a diverse body of powerful constituents. However it is far more obvious and accepted in DC that supporters don't really love you, and that for sure, everyone will never love you.

The impossibility of satisfying everyone resounded in a Congressional Role Simulation our group participated in at the National Association of Manufacturers. In a mock game of real-time decision making in a hypothetical congressional campaign, I realized quickly that no matter what decision you make someone will always be angry with you! How to split your limited time between the you represent and your National Party and the White House, how to spend your money in ways that support a diverse body of constituents, when and how to conduct press conferences? Your constituents, the press, the Party…someone is always not getting what they want! And you have to take the heat and keep on moving! People will trash you. You have to listen and change when the points are constructive, and for the most part, ignore and move on when they are unfounded and insulting.

3. Who is the Public?

As diverse a bunch as we Trumans are, public service is our shared passion and underlying theme of the summer Institute. But I found myself particularly challenged on Tuesday night when a few of us strolled on down to the Kennedy Center to hear a free concert by the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants and the U.S. Army Chorus. One song in the program caught my ear and left me with silent tears running down my face; it was a letter, drafted into lyrics and arranged to music , written by Army Private 1st Class Jesse Givens to his wife, son and unborn child in case he died, which he did, in May of 2003 in Iraq. You can hear his wife Melissa read the letter and be interviewed here.

I was challenged by this sadness in the same way I am challenged by the sadness that tightens my chest and suffocates my heart when I am reminded of the victims of 9/11.

This challenge is how to honor and appreciate these deaths ALONGSIDE the immense suffering that we have undoubtedly caused in the nation that never even attacked us to begin with. In NYC I roll with crowds who know their statistics: we lament 2,998 deaths on 9/11 and 4,090 us servicemen and women killed in Iraq since 2003, but we fail to recognize the 151,000 violent Iraqi deaths since 2003. We know General Tommy Franks and General David Petraeus and Commander in Chief George Bush as public servants – leaders – but does anyone celebrate the life and work of public servant Marla Ruzicka? Do we consider her a public servant? When we say ‘public servant’ in an increasingly globalized world, can we responsibly constrict that only to service done directly to those in our homeland? Or can we appreciate serving citizens of other nations as a long-term strategy for fostering better international relationships and reputations and thereby increasing our national security?

4. Adjudicating Authenticity

A powerful cap to our first week in DC, several of our cohort rolled out of bed at 6 AM on Saturday and made our way to the National Building Museum to be first in line for Hillary’s historic Concession speech. (Although as we kept being chastised: "This is not a concession speech," growled a Hillary supporter to my left, "This is suspension and support!" ) Our friend Jon is the only Hillary supporter of the crew – otherwise all 51 of us are for Obama with the exception of 5 or 6 McCains – and we went to support him and the unification of the Democratic party. What a fascinating anthropological experience! Besides getting a kick out of the illogical stupor the celebrity circus inflicts upon even the greatest minds, I watched intently as many supporters were crying and some even booing as Hillary made a legendary statement: “Yes We Can.”

Who is to say whether or not she meant a word of her heavy support for Obama? Who is to judge her authenticity? All I could think about as we elbowed our way out of the commotion was “What will the pundits do with this now?” Watching Hillary speak to the buzzing body of supporters, I felt an immense wave of respect come over me for this woman. Without any provocation I was reminded of the many times I have failed to reach a goal or hit a deadline, when I am never upset with myself, as I know I have worked the hardest I could have. I am rather always devastated that I have somehow disappointed someone else, someone else who was counting on me or trusting in me or invested in me. And I can only imagine how heavy a burden Hillary carried during that entire speech, evidenced by the weeping fans all around me in the crowd.

So we can scrutinize and strategize and place her words and phrases within a greater game, attempting to predict politics and paint reality. But at the end of the day, behind all the bullshit, is what she and every public leader leaves with her supporters, and gives back to the public. She clinched with a powerful reminder that although politicians have the power to make immense decisions, every single person matters as well. Ready to step off the stage and out of the race, she asked everyone to "Aim high, work hard and care deeply about what you believe in."

New Yorkers must have tipped their hats to that one!

It has been productive to make the parallels and contrasts of the two cities clear in my mind, but it's time to move on and dive into DC! For want of keeping posts a reasonable length, I have left out many other relevant and powerful meetings with folks in public service, including past Truman Scholars of all kinds, David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National & Community Service, Robert Egger, Founder and President of DC Central Kitchen, representatives of the Brookings Institution, and volunteers and clients at a local woman’s day shelter.

I will try to consolidate the reflections in the coming weeks, but there was a lot to digest in this first week of exposure to DC life! And don’t worry, loved ones, that I’m falling deeper into workaholic stupor -- it hasn't been all ‘work’! We watched the Celtics dominate Kobe and his Lakers at Buffalo Billiards, danced the night away on 18th street and in Adams Morgan, chilled out and watched “Recount” together, chowed down on diverse cuisines across town, from legendary Ben’s Chili Bowl cheese-fries to Mexican and margaritas. The weather is beautiful and I am feeling phenomenally blessed for these two months ahead with such a stellar group of peers.

Thanks to HSBC for a great pitch line, "A different point of view is simply the view from a place where you're not"....now please open a branch in DC so I can take out some cash without getting charged from my point of view!

Also, readers, please read the side bar attentively to learn more about some of my fellow Trumans and their amazing work! Peace! Xo ko