A Matter of Truth

I was walking home from the gym and passed a man wearing a red t-shirt with writing on it. I can't help myself, if I see words I am going to read them. The shirt read," Make Lies Wrong Again." How apropos, what is vexing for me, and many of my colleagues, what weighs on them like leaden clouds, is the "propaganda." The entire bureau (over 100 people) were told with a straight face that I was transferred due to an urgent need in the Maternal Infant Reproductive Health Bureau. Was anyone from any other bureau transferred to fill this urgent need? No. How about job postings to support their ranks? No. What exactly is the need that requires the transfer (with 1 week notice) of the most senior communicable disease epidemiologist in the department? In the middle of two pandemics? While we are short staffed? Further depleted by summer vacations? No comment. People can tell when they are being lied to and it erodes trust. The agency pays a lot of lip service to equity and transparency. Leadership is inexperienced, insecure, and  now lacks credibility.