A mission statement.  (This topic  is something that I discuss often- you can seek out mission in the index.  Here’s one of the first of many such  blogs.)  The mission statement is a vital component, it explains the corporate culture of our business- or our government agencies.

Our mission is our purpose. So the mission statement is a description of what our true purpose is. What is our primary objective, our desires, what we intend to do, and to whom or for whom we will take actions.. Our vision statement (which tends to be more applicable to business and non-profit entities) says what we will achieve as a result of the specific actions we plan to take.

Given those definitions, you can see that we should rarely change our mission statement. Maybe if we were acquired- or acquired another firm. Because mission statements define the present- and vision statements declare our futures.

Consider this. After we reorganized the government agencies (due to 9-11), when we created the Department of Homeland Security, it was clear that new mission statements needed to be created for those agencies under its aegis. It’s why the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) removed policing from its mission statement to reflect its focus was now directed to maintaining the security and integrity of the US and its citizenry.

But, other than that, our federal government has rarely changed the mission statements of our cabinet departments or agencies.
Until TheDonald.

Now, the CIS (Citizenship & Immigration Services) no longer considers America to be a nation of immigrants, but instead is devoted to securing the homeland. I understand xenophobia, but most of us grew up knowing that we Americans were supposed to be a melting pot. So, given this change, which values will CIS honor? (Clearly NOT the concept of that melting pot.)

I guess CIS will now plan to be a crucible and burn away those whom TheDonald doesn’t approve?   But, then again,  consistency is not a fulcrum for TheDonald’s administration. He rails against “chain migration”, the very process by which his wife brought her parents to the US.

Or, as Stephen Miller (senior advisor to TheDonald) claims that Emma Lazarus’ poem was never an American concept. Even though every child until now learned that famous line, the one that has not yet been removed from the Statue of Liberty.   (Don’t be surprised if TheDonald does so)…

“give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses”

What about the agency that has proven to the world that we want everyone’s standard of living to increase so they don’t keep needing US assistance? (It makes no difference if that goal has been created because we want them to be able to buy our products and services.) It’s still the AID [Agency for International Development). Well, maybe that mission will no longer be acceptable.  Since we now claim we are going to only offer assistance to other nations if we can find partners to do so.

And, even before TheDonald fired Rex Tillerson, the State Department mission statement was changed to remove the concept that it was the business of America to promote democracy around the world. (Should it surprise anyone that would be true, with the admiration that TheDonald demonstrates for despots and totalitarian leaders around the world like Duterte, Putin, and el-Sisi?)

Of course, no one should be surprised that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would have its mission destroyed. It never developed an iota of acceptance by the GOP. So, when it’s mission statement no longer reflects protecting US citizenry and instead worries about removing regulations to which companies must adhere, we just moan about the loss of citizen protections.

And, now, Ben Carson, who is frustrated that he won’t get his $ 31,000 table is removing the fight against discrimination from the mission statement of HUD. Or, to get US citizenry into quality homes in inclusive communities. Now, we care about self-sufficiency. As you can see from its proposed new mission statement.

Happy with your vote, still?