A message to all PCVs and RPCVs

"I solemnly swear 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."

That's the oath we all took when we finished PST became Peace Corps Volunteers. It is the same oath that all members of the military, the foreign service, Congress, and the judiciary swear. It's the same oath that the President swears.

I finished my service about 12 years ago and haven't held a federal role since. That doesn't mean my duty to uphold that oath ended.

Yes, America isn't perfect. It continuously falls short of its proclaimed values of Truth, Justice, Equity, and Freedom. But that doesn't mean we should stand by and let criminals and their sycophants destroy our way of life.

It would be so easy to give up and shrink back in despair or apathy. To hide and hope that the chaos passes over us without disrupting our lives. I am telling you none of us will come out of this unscathed. We will all carry scars from this, so we might as well resist.

Resistance looks different to all of us, depending on our means skills, and circumstances. We all have different talents and passions. We all have something to contribute.

Facing this terrible challenge to our way of life (and our world) will demand more from each of us than perhaps we've ever dared. But if we stand together, we will prevail.