Every day that I choose to watch the daily
press briefing from the White House given by Sean Spicer I hear something
(usually more than one thing) that fills me with outrage. Today was no
different. Sean was asked about former National Security Advisor Flynn’s
working with Turkey while serving as the president’s NSA and the answer given
by Spicer was incredulous. I will paraphrase the answer that Sean gave to the
press regarding Flynn as, “it wasn’t up to the transition team to advise Flynn
on his disclosures.” Spicer was making the statement that each individual is
told to “seek outside counsel regarding their paperwork…”
Let me be very clear when I say that it is more
than an outrage that someone at the highest level of our government isn’t
subject to the same background checks and verification that an average citizen
seeking employment for a private (or government) job goes through for (even)
the most menial position. Even people who are seeking housing through
government housing programs or to lease an apartment are subject to criminal
and credit background checks that prevent them from obtaining said housing.
When seeking employment for both private and government sector jobs in this
country the background check process looks at both credit and criminal
background history that prevents many Americans from obtaining employment of
any kind – even the lowest of low paying/no benefit jobs.
How is it that someone serving at the highest
level of government for security clearances is just “taken at their word?” That
is abhorrent. Especially from an administration that has stated the U.S.
government needs “more extreme vetting” for immigrants coming from
predominantly Muslim countries. I have known people from Palestine and Jordan
who were so bogged down by the vetting process that is in place currently (post
9/11) that they completely abandoned their dream of coming to the U.S. to build
a better life. These people had family who had immigrated to America to vouch
for them and they were educated in high tech fields (like computer engineering
and other engineering specialties) and were unable to get, even, a work visa.
I, myself, have gone through the arduous process
of losing jobs due to my background information (that is more than twenty years
old) coming back to haunt me. That was before employers started waiting to get
background check results before allowing a person to begin their employment –
even in a “right to work” state like the one where I live. That is why this
information is so damn infuriating to me. Hell, had I known all I needed to do
was bypass trying to work for the VA Hospital or any other field besides
substance abuse and hone my resume to be an advisor to the president and, bam,
I’d have a job…
Even to maintain my employment in substance
abuse (a profession where I was hired two weeks into my internship) I had to
attend a hearing held by the Department of Human Services/DHS at which point
the “judge” who heard the case looked at the opposition and said, “Why are you
wasting my time with this? She is clearly rehabilitated and well qualified.”
Still, I had to go through that process to get “cleared” to work in a field
that I had both extensive personal experience and education. That is far more
than, apparently, took place with the Trump transition team when clearing a
person to serve as the highest national security counsel to the president of
the United States. Astonishing!
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