Transitioning from private to public sector: Lessons learned from those who experienced it

https://medium.com/project-redesign/transitioning-from-private-to-public-sector-lessons-learned-from-those-who-experienced-it-5991c7c870f2 

Urgency, good. Rushing, bad.

Close elections

In 2020, if Trump had flipped 10,342 votes in Wisconsin, 5,890 votes in Georgia, and 5,229 votes in Arizona, he would have won the electoral college while losing the popular vote by 7.01 million votes.

In 2016, if Clinton had flipped 5,352 votes in Michigan, 11,089 votes in Wisconsin, and 23,383 in Pennsylvania, she would have won the electoral college while winning the popular vote by 2.95 million votes.

The Vietnam War

During quarantine, I've slowly made my way through the Ken Burns Vietnam War documentary originally aired on PBS in 2017. (in Vietnam, they call it the American War)

It's a remarkable work, and I learned some things about American failures that hadn't come through in past reading:

  • Mistake #1: The origins of the war came in Vietnam's nationalist struggle against brutal, terrible French colonizing forces. Hồ Chí Minh actually quoted the US Declaration of Independence in his own Declaration, and had sought connections with the US in 1946. We had the chance to bring Vietnam into the US sphere of influence, but working with a communist was too hard for the US, so we sided with the doomed French and therefore set ourselves on the side of the colonizers.
  • Mistake #2: In 1954, we interfered with the peace process and fair vote that was about to go to the communists (because of mistake #1) and set up a southern government that would forever struggle with foundational legitimacy.
  • Mistake #3: the person the US installed to rule was hyper-oppressive, though thanks to mistake #2 he was set up to fail. We had Ngo Diem assassinated and continued to treat Vietnam's successor governments as puppets.
  • Mistake #4: because of mistakes 1-3, the South was not able to stand on its own against the north, causing the US to continuously, subtly slide deeper and deeper into a conflict without a winning strategy.
  • Mistake #5: the government knew this, but kept it quiet in order to win the 1964 election for Johnson in a big way (arguably enabling Medicare and Medicaid to exist today)
  • Mistake #6: when quietness was no longer an option, the US government lied as part of its losing war strategy, creating victories by manipulating metrics and body counts
  • Mistake #7: the basic tactics of the war destroyed American troop morale (fighting for pointless hills, supposedly to keep violence out of the cities), because thanks to mistakes 1-5 eventually being understood, and mistake 6 destroying trust, the government lost its effectiveness to prosecute the war.
  • Mistake #8: the failure of these tactics and failed military leadership created the conditions for the US to commit terrible massacres.
  • Mistake #9: the US (specifically Nixon) lied to the South Vietnam government about its commitments to support that government and broke its promises by writing checks congress would not cash (thanks to mistakes 6-8)
  • Mistake #10: the US failed to keep its promises to individual South Vietnamese to whom we owed debts of honor to evacuate, and even blocked for a time immigration of Vietnamese people to the US who had no viable life in Saigon.
I also learned about some failures on the part of peace activists:
  1. Visiting Hanoi and swallowing propaganda whole that covered the North's violations of human rights and massacres
  2. Raising the Viet Kong flag in protest marches, a force that was actively killing South Vietnamese civilians
  3. Spitting on troops that had served their duty honorably, who had no ability to influence policy
I also think the US today is still stricken with the failure to resolve Vietnam. That led to the rancor of the 2004 election, and to much of the tension today between people of a certain age.

The tabs I perpetually return to most often on my phone

I've ended up with a few perpetually open tabs on my mobile browser (side note: are those tabs?) and thought it'd be interesting to share here what's organically ended up being referenced most by me, aside from the WMATA "next train" app.

States of the Union, updated

An update to https://willslack.blogspot.com/2013/03/states-in-union.html (and updated again in 2024)

Final score: Been to 38, technically visited 6, looking forward to 6.
  • Alabama
    • Mom's college reunion, Huntsville scout trip (coldest camping ever)
  • Alaska - Not yet
    • I recognized Anchorage from the air flying back to DC from Asia, which was cool.
  • Arizona
    • Visited Tucson for a few days in 2016, enjoyed the Saguaro fuzz on hills and the desert museum.
  • Arkansas
    • Heifer Ranch experience, overnight.
  • California
    • Weddings + many work trips, enjoyed Magic Castle with my cousin and his wife
  • Colorado*
    • Only Denver Airport, where you can be kicked off a plane because it's too hot to take off with full load.
  • Connecticut*
    • Saw many "bury" cities on way through on Greyhound but never actually stepped outside the bus, so this doesn't count. Have driven through before but I don't think I ever interacted with anything but a gas station.
  • Delaware
    • Overnighted with a friend there before driving back to DC in the very early AM.
  • Florida
    • Disney World, work trips.
  • Georgia
    • Home state; been up & down & all around (Columbus, Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, Savannah, Valdosta, Macon, Rome, etc etc). Work trips as well.
  • Hawaii - Not yet
  • Idaho
    • Work trip + conference, Boise is gorgeous. 
  • Illinois
    • Work trips to Peoria and fun visits to Chicago, especially St. Patrick's weekends.
  • Indiana
    •  Stayed in Indianapolis on my way to my first job and then with friends on a cross-country road tour where he was getting a degree, post tour in Iraq.
  • Iowa
    • Several work trips. Enjoyed Fort Dodge the most.
  • Kansas
    • Work trip to Topeka for a few days auditing a hospital install, visited a famous compound.
  • Kentucky
    • Visiting the cousins that raised Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic.
  • Louisiana
    • Visiting and staying with friends in Monroe; haven't been to New Orleans yet.
  • Maine
    • Stayed in this fine state during a political trip to NH. The coastal areas are lovely - and without cell coverage.
  • Maryland
    • Lived in Capitol Heights while interning; stayed in Baltimore and worked in greater Baltimore
  • Massachusetts
    • My college state, also Boston to stay with friends as well as Lawrence.
  • Michigan*
    •  Many transfers through my second favorite airport (Detroit) with fun fountains and a great light tunnel.
  • Minnesota
    • Spent two nights in the state so far, including hanging out at a bar with a bunch of Minnesotans.
  • Mississippi*
    •  Drove through on way to Houston, can't recall stopping.
  • Missouri - Not yet
  • Montana
    • Drove through in 2024 and stayed in Missoula, had lunch in Winnett on way to North Dakota. Some bad snow/ice so diverted from I-90 to state route 200, which was lovely.
  • Nebraska - Not yet
  • Nevada - Not yet
  • New Hampshire
    • Political stuff during college, especially in Portsmouth.
  • New Jersey
    • Driven through, stayed with family friends who had a perfect temperature for sleeping in their basement.
  • New Mexico
    • Family touring and sightseeing, memorable work trip to Clovis.
  • New York
    • Tourist trips to NYC, some upstate visits as well. Receptions above the Hudson with smart political people.
  • North Carolina
    • Second favorite state with connections and time in most major cities & near Thurmond Chatham Wildlife Management Area many summers. Backpacked as well.
  • North Dakota
    • Drove through in 2024, had dinner in Bismarck and stayed just over the state border in a Fargo suburb.
  • Ohio
    • Work trips to Zanesville, saw several friends in Cleveland.
  • Oklahoma*
    •  Drove in and out of a corner of the state the first time we were in Texas, I think.
  • Oregon
    • Work trips, Portland is gorgeous and features confusing roads
  • Pennsylvania
    • American history tourism, Pittsburgh is beautiful. Also visited an LDS temple open house.
  • Rhode Island
    • A few times, mostly to see a wonderful friend and her family in South Kingstown.
  • South Carolina
    • Cousins used to live here, done beach weeks on the coast, and I-85 is real boring.
  • South Dakota
    • Visited Pine Ridge Reservation, specifically Red Shirt Table. Really appreciated the time spent exploring the badlands on foot.
  • Tennessee
    • Field trips as a kid, time in Nashville as well with friends for a wedding and seeing cousins.
  • Texas
    • Visiting family in Amarillo, a wedding in San Antonio, Austin for a church thing, and brother at school.
  • Utah*
    • Transited through Salt Lake Airport on way to a conference at Sun Valley.
  • Vermont
    • A really interesting trip to the Northeast Kingdom that I'll never forget, featuring a "Christian" communistic cult.
  • Virginia
    • Family stays near DC, also been through Richmond at 3 AM and stayed there a night as well. Also spent some time in Charlotteville with colleagues.
  • Washington
    • Work trips, visiting family and friends as well. Rainier looming over the highway south from Seattle is a favorite travel memory.
  • West Virginia
    • I (kind of ) learned to snowboard here and went on a fun whitewater rating trip down the Gauley River.
  • Wisconsin
    • Third state of residence. Also been upstate to Tomahawk a few times.
  • Wyoming - Not yet

Embracing the animal or the human

I woke up this morning thinking about the difference between acting naturally and acting humanly.

Naturally, we pursue animalistic behavior - violence is common in history, as is all manner of horrible behaviors towards others. Our animalistic side is deeply tribal, discards the Golden Rule, and acts based on intrinsic feeling.

Some of those aspects of us are helpful; others are harmful. We've enacted our Rights into law, we've embraced our shared humanity in each other, and we've built a global civilization based on shared rules and practices that enable strangers to connect and communicate.

What do we do with those natural parts of ourselves that don't fit in a world of common humanity? How do we channel them?

Short post re today's vote

Not that anyone is going to care about my opinion, but I feel an urge to say this before any vote takes place: regardless of the actions of the Democratic party's leaders in the Senate, the accusation against the Supreme Court nominee deserves full investigation to the satisfaction of a supermajority of the American public, including into some of the questions that were new after yesterday's testimony. Republicans should use the ill timing of the Democrats against them at the ballot box, but confirming a nominee without further investigation and interviews will do harm to the Court. It appears to demonstrate a disinterest in gathering all possible information and will discourage others from coming forward. It is, in a word, silencing.

It is wrong to prioritize punishing Democrats (even those who would have already been voting no) over insuring public confidence in our courts. That has been signaled as the motivation for doing the vote now, and the GOP has a higher responsibility as the party in power.

Oakhurst in Childhood

I grew up in Decatur, Georgia - where the city motto was "A City of Homes, Schools and Churches." Besides my grandfather's pastorate in Thomaston, all of the churches of meaning for me in childhood were in Decatur:
  • Clairemont Hills Baptist, where my boy scout troop met. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and St. Thomas More Catholic church.
  • Decatur First United Methodist, where I went to "Parent's Morning Out" and then preschool (taught by some mothers of classmates). I still recall the fear when I lost track of time and lost left outside during recess while in the tire swing. I found my way back in and some adults got me back to my teacher. I remember the morning routine of getting dropped off and going inside the preschool, along with the cubbies for our bags.
  • Decatur First Presbyterian, where my great grandfather and great aunts/uncles were longtime members. Our family used to host our holiday gathering in their fellowship hall each year, where my great aunt would ask my dad to MC.
  • North Decatur Presbyterian, a church my grandfather helped to plant and foster, where my dad was in boy scouts. I came here for events with my cousins and grandparents; these days my visits are typically for funerals. Previous pastors knew my college chaplain.
  • Decatur Friends Meeting, my father's spiritual home throughout childhood. I remember the smell of the library, the size of the worship space, the pipe cleaners my dad let us play with to keep quiet, the playground, the giant kudzu patch behind the church, and the culvert up to the parking lot. The Friends Meeting is also where I learned about adopted kids, and that children don't have to look like their parents.
And Oakhurst, my church.

In childhood, Oakhurst was my impression of what all churches were like. Walking into the main doors in the back of the building and up some stairs, you'd reach a large foyer with the fellowship hall to the left, as well as a staircase (reached by ascending three other steps). Walking straight ahead, and up a few stairs, you'd be below the sanctuary, with various sunday school or extended session classrooms and the choir room, where I did Children's Choir all through elementary school. I learned patience standing on those risers, and managed to memorize enough lines and music to pay Saint Francis in a church musical. There was a playground at the side of the church that I don't recall much about.

On the second floor, you'd enter the building on a "bridge" over the light well, go up some stairs, then down two stairs, and you'd be in the floor of the church offices and library - with doors to get into the back of the sanctuary or a staircase after three steps up.

I mention all of this to say, it wasn't very handicap accessible, and it was good to build a new secondary building in my youth.

I remember sitting on the floor, facing backward onto the pew, playing with quiet toys during services, then being dismissed to extended session. The first year I "aged out" of extended session, I remember consciously wanting to act like an adult and stop playing with toys. I therefore taught myself how to wink in church over several Sundays.

I remember going to youth sunday school after the new building was completed, in the basement, and learning about the historical bible, which fascinated me - especially the idea of the "Q" book that textual analysis tells us acted as an ancestor to Matthew and Luke, alongside Mark.

I remember Monday Night Youth Group, which met in the homes of young adults in the Atlanta area. I am so grateful to those adults for providing us guidance and role modeling what kind of people we could grow into being.

And then, I remember learning about Okahurst's history. It turned out that Oakhurst was special, because most churches in the south didn't stick around when the neighborhood changed, and Oakhurst had been almost entirely black for decades. Most churches didn't have black and white members worshipping together. This history is chronicled in The Turning Point, a film about Oakhurst's choice to remain in Decatur as white flight rapidly changed the composition of the neighborhood.

Most churches didn't have someone like Jim Brooks to bless the babies (see 0:47 here) or folks like Annie Harper, who brought her beloved daughter Ernestine most Sundays. Oakhurst helped me meet folks with all sorts of disabilities and learn about their lives as we welcomed them (and still welcome them).

Most churches don't turn away a child seeking to be baptized because they don't think the child understands the decision he's making. Oakhurst did. Oakhurst sought and drew out that questioning - pulling on me to understand what I thought about the world. Oakhurst helped me to discern that my baptism in the Presbyterian Church mattered, though I don't think its the best spiritual practice.

I have been to Orthodox, Catholic, American Anglican,  Congregationalist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Calvanist, Quaker, LDS, Lutheran, Pentacostal, UCC, and Unitarian churches, but after all of that listening, I am and will always be a Child of Oakhurst, so grateful to those who came before and showed me the way.

Roy Moore Accusers and Evidence: A Comprehensive Summary

Here is the evidence and background of the various allegations against Roy Moore. There are at least nine women on record who dealt with him and at least nine other specific sources who spoke on the record about him and his reputation.

Women that allege Roy Moore assaulted them

Leigh Corfman alleged Moore sexually assaulted her as a 14 year old. Roy Moore denies ever knowing her and says everything from her is fabricated. Two childhood friends including Betsy Davis confirmed that she talked to them about Moore. Her mother confirms she talked about Moore's assault in the 1990s as Moore became more known, and that she and Leigh met Moore in a courthouse when he offered to watch her during a custody hearing. Her ex confirmed she discussed Moore in 2009. It is absolutely clear from these four additional witnesses that Moore did know her (showing he lied) and that she's been talking about the assault for decades with her family and friends. Other reporters from conservative outlets have confirmed her account and that she didn't approach the media - she was approached, along with the other three women from the initial story. She said in a live interview that she was not compensated in any way for her story and that she didn't come forward before because her children were worried about being ostracized. She is a Republican who voted for Donald Trump.

Beverly Young Nelson approached Gloria Allred after the first four women came forward and alleged in a detailed statement at a news conference that she met Moore at 15 while waiting tables at old Hickory House  in Gadsden, Alabama. She said he flirted and after she turned 16, signed her yearbook “Merry Christmas” and “Love, Roy Moore, D.A." She further said he sexually assaulted her in his car one evening and when she didn't go along, said "You are a child. I am the district attorney of Etowah County. If you tell anyone about this, no one will believe you." Moore denied ever knowing Nelson and alleged the yearbook is a forgery. However, Nelson claimed she told her sister and mother about the event within a few years, which Allred confirmed. She also told her husband before marrying him, and he was at the news conference. She was attacked by Moore's lawyer as biased because Moore heard her divorce case, but this was untrue: another judge dealt with the case and there was no hearing as the couple reconciled, though Moore's stamped signature appears on one form. Moore supporters also alleged the restaurant wasn't open at the time, but this was proven via an old city directory. She and her husband supported and voted for Donald Trump.

Tina Johnson
 alleged that Moore complimented her looks multiple times and sat within close proximity to her in a meeting with him in 1991 to review a custody petition. After the meeting, she alleges Moore groped her buttocks ("He didn't pinch it; he grabbed it"). She has done further interviews, including one with Megyn Kelly. Moore hasn't responded to this allegation beyond a general denial: "If you are a liberal and hate Judge Moore, apparently he groped you. If you are a conservative and love Judge Moore, you know these allegations are a political farce.” Johnson has pled guilty to writing bad checks and theft of property. However, her sister confirmed that Johnson told her about being uncomfortable years ago and the court documents bear Moore's signature. She is not political but is a devout Christian who attends church regularly in Gadsden.

Gena Richardson alleged Moore approached her at the Gadsden Mall in 1977, just before or after her 18th birthday, when he was 30, and asked for her phone number, which she declined to provide. She says he then called her school ("What are you doing?" "I'm in trig class.") and asked her out again on the call, then again at Sears. She says she relented and went on a date that ended with an unwanted kiss with "very forceful tongue." Moore has not responded to this allegation beyond a general denial: "If you are a liberal and hate Judge Moore, apparently he groped you. If you are a conservative and love Judge Moore, you know these allegations are a political farce.” However, her childhood colleague Kayla McLaughlin confirmed that she saw Moore "visit" with Gena repeatedly. Richardson is a Republican who did not vote in the 2016 election.

Women that allege Roy Moore was interested in them or dated them as teenagers

Gloria Thacker Deason alleged that Moore approached her when working at Pizitz in the Gadsden Mall when she was 18 and that they dated for a few months, but didn't go beyond kissing or hugging. She also said that Moore bought her alcohol when she was underage. Moore confirmed knowing her and her family, recalling her as a "good girl," and did not contradict her account about dates. However, he stated that purchasing alcohol would have been impossible because the county was dry, but this is a proven lie with evidence: the county allowed alcohol sales 7 years earlier, Gadsden’s municipal code permits liquor sales and the press confirmed alcohol was for sale at the pizzeria where she recalls Moore ordering bottles of rosé for their table.

Debbie Wesson Gibson told The Washington Post that she was 17 years old when she met Moore after he spoke to her high school civics class and that Moore asked her out on several dates “that did not progress beyond kissing." Moore confirmed knowing her and her family, recalling her as a "good girl," and did not contradict her, but said he could not remember specific dates with her or speaking to her in a civics class. She was attacked because she provided sign language translation for Hillary Clinton and other democrats, but Moore hasn't denied her account.

Wendy Miller alleged that Moore approached her in the Gadsden Mall at a photo booth at the age of 14, told her that she "looked pretty," and that he asked her out on dates when she was 16, which her mother forbade because of her age. Her mother confirmed the account, saying she told Moore: “Let’s not rob the cradle." Moore has not commented on this allegation beyonds saying to Sean Hannity, when asked if he recalled asking our teenagers, "Not generally, no. If did, you know, I'm not going to dispute anything but I don't remember anything like that." He also said "I have never dated or engaged in any inappropriate conduct with an underage girl."

Becky Gray alleged that Moore asked her our repeatedly at Gadsden Mall when she was 22, despite her repeatedly turning him down, and continued to hang out in her section in Pizitz. She said she complained to her manager, who said others had complained then came back later and said he was banned from the mall. (Note: Barnes Boyle, who managed the mall four years later, does not remember Moore being banned.) She also said she told the story many times over the years with coworkers and family members. Moore has not responded to this allegation beyond a general denial: "If you are a liberal and hate Judge Moore, apparently he groped you. If you are a conservative and love Judge Moore, you know these allegations are a political farce.” His attorney also stated his name never appeared on the mall "ban list." She is a Democrat.

Kelly Harrison Thorp alleged that she was 17 and working as a hostess at Red Lobster when Roy Moore asked her out. She says she asked him "Do you know how old I am?" and that he responded "Yeah. I go out with girls your age all the time." She turned him down and later told a family member. She lives in Gadsden and knows and believes Leigh Corfman.

Separate Corroborating Witnesses and Commentary


Delores Abney said that Moore talked to women in high school in an exercise class in the YMCA gym, and that it didn't look "appropriate."

Glenn Day managed two stores in the Gadsdan mall and said that Mr. Moore had a strong reputation for approaching young women. He's amazed that its a surprise to people. “I can’t believe there’s such an outcry now,” Mr. Day said, “about something everybody knew.”

Faye Gary was a Gadsden police officer for 37 years. She said that Moore’s reputation for pursuing underage girls was widely known throughout the community. She also said the department never received a formal complaint about him. “It was a known fact: Roy Moore liked young girls. It was treated like a joke. That’s just the way it was.”

Greg Legat was an employee at the Record Bar in the Gadsden Mall; he recalled police officer J. D. Thomas telling him "If you see Roy, let me know. He’s banned from the mall" and his boss Eddie Hill also telling him to look for Moore. Thomas refused to comment when reached for corroboration.

Teresa Jones said that Moore's "propensity" for teenage girls was common knowledge when she was a fellow deputy DA in Gadsden. She said “It was common knowledge that Roy dated high school girls. Everyone we knew thought it was weird.”

Jason Nelms said that a concession worker at the Gadsden Mall movie theater told him that the managers were worried about Roy Moore trying to pick up younger girls outside the theater.

Janet Reeves worked at the mall in 1978 at a variety of jobs as a teenager. She said "We knew, that Roy was, we considered him as teenagers the creepy old man that roamed the mall, trying to talk to the young girls.” She said he asked a friend of hers out who was 17 or 18.

Kathleen Sisson is a retired teacher in Gadsden. She said that she's known for years about Leigh Corfman's account.

Patti Spradlin grew up in Gadsden with Leigh Corfman. She said, "Everyone knew there was something to avoid [with Moore] that was creepy and icky and it was something that my friends didn't want anything to do with." She also said she has known since childhood that something happened between Corfman and Moore.

Phyllis Smith alleged that teenage girls working at Brooks in the Gadsden Mall counseled each other to “just make yourself scarce when Roy’s in here, he’s just here to bother you, don’t pay attention to him and he’ll go away." “I can remember him walking in and the whole mood would change with us girls. It would be like we were on guard. I would find something else to do. I remember being creeped out.” She was never approached personally by Moore.

Kathleen Warren shared office space with Roy Moore in 1984. She said she heard gossip about him and young women.

Kyle Whitmire stated on CNN that there have been rumors over the years, which the press was unable to confirm or report.

Two sources from Luther Strange's primary campaign said the campaign heard that Roy Moore "liked to chase women around the courthouse," but was unable to confirm the rumors with names.

Two unnamed police officers said that they heard stories about Moore and the small. One said, "The general knowledge at the time when I moved here was that this guy is a lawyer cruising the mall for high-school dates....I was told by a girl who worked at the mall that he’d been run off from there, from a number of stores. Maybe not legally banned, but run off.” Another said “A friend of mine told me he was banned from there."

Homecoming Reflections

I don't get back to Decatur much at this point in my life. I see family regularly at least three times / year, but two of those gatherings are not in my hometown. My adulthood's regular rhythm is in those visits, along with trips to Massachusetts twice a year for board meetings.

So coming back this weekend, for a homecoming game and to manage a few other errands, has been really neat. My high school classmates are army captains, practicing physician assistants on 12 hours shifts, PhD students, engineers creating car parts, successful artists, practicing lawyers, full time parents, shift workers, elementary school teachers, and so much more. Some have passed away, as well, and however much technology is irrevocably changing our society, I am thankful for these binding ties - especially for these people who came up with me through elementary, middle, and high school. There are only so many old friends like this that we get.

The band plays the same stand music, but in new stands over a field that looks different on every side now compared to my graduation over a decade ago. The student body is much larger - and growing - thanks to Decatur's success. But, some people - my middle school gym coach, the media clerk that's known me since preschool, the yearbook teacher - continue to enrich the lives of students and continuously build anew the community that birthed me. I look forward to the rest of the weekend's events.

It's in these places - the small communities where we all know each other, where reputations are built slowly and stories are told for decades - that we create the social bonds that nourish lives. I'm not a natural "social bonder" - so I'm so so so grateful to those that are - that have willed Decatur into the place it was and is, and who live out these secularly sacred words:
I pledge to be an active American
to show up for others
to govern my self
to help govern my community
I recommit myself to my country’s creed
to cherish liberty
as a responsibility
I pledge to serve
and to push my country:
when right, to be kept right;
when wrong, to be set right
Wherever my ancestors and I were born,
I claim America
and I pledge to live like a citizen
Oh and also - the Bulldogs won the game.