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Fired National Park Education Ranger shares heartbreaking post on losing his 'dream job'

"Share this truth widely."

via Brian Gibbs/Facebook

Brian Gibbs and son at Effigy Mounds National Monument.

On Friday, February 14th, Brian Gibbs, a National Park Ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa, learned he was terminated as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) move to decrease the federal workforce. Gibbs was one of thousands of federal probationary workers terminated that day. Officials have targeted probationary workers employed for less than one or two years because they have fewer job protections or rights to appeal.

While working at Effigy, Gibbs’ job was to educate children, from kindergarten through high school, about more than a dozen American Indian tribes associated with the park. “My job was to teach people about the sacredness of this site, and people … who built the mounds and tribes and still continue to come to the park,” he told CNN.

The reason for his termination felt strange to Gibbs, who says that he exceeded expectations in his most recent evaluation. “According to the letter I received, I ‘failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment’ because my ‘subject matter, knowledge, skills and abilities do not meet the department’s needs,’” Gibbs told Today.com. Now that he is unemployed, Gibbs’ big concern is for his family. He and his wife have one child, and are expecting another in the summer.

In the wake of the mass federal layoffs of over 77,000 people, Gibbs bravely put a face to the story by making a heartbreaking post about losing his job and the National Park Rangers' importance in American life.

“I am absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated to have lost my dream job of an Education Park Ranger with the National Park Service this Valentine’s Day,” Gibbs wrote in his post. “Access to my government email was denied mid-afternoon and my position was ripped out from out under my feet after my shift was over at 3:45pm on a cold snowy Friday. Additionally, before I could fully print off my government records, I was also locked out of my electronic personal file that contained my secure professional records.”

Gibbs then listed a litany of roles he assumed as a ranger, father, and American citizen.

"I am an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic... I am the protector of 2500 year old American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds... I am the one who told your child that they belong on this planet. That their unique gifts and existence matters ... I am the lesson that showed your children that we live in a world of gifts- not commodities, that gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear," Gibbs wrote.

To raise money for his family during a time of need, Gibbs has partnered with Des Moines-based Raygun to create three shirts honoring those who work for the National Parks Service. Two of the shirts quote his viral post, "Gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear." A third shirt has a Ranger hat with the quote: "DON'T TREAD ON ME."


national parks, brian gibbs shirt, raygunRaygun x Brian Gobbs shirts.via Raygun


It’s disheartening to see a man lose the job that he loved so much. But Gibbs's brave post, which appealed to America's better angels, was a wonderful way to humanize the thousands of federal workers who have lost their jobs and the countless who will in the coming months. It can be hard to empathize with federal employees when they’re in offices we’ve never seen or states we’ll never visit. But America’s National Parks are the undisputed gems that make America great, and when those who work to protect them are under threat, it’s a call for all Americans to take notice.

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Identity

Americans share the top 13 things foreigners should avoid when visiting the U.S.

Sorry, but you can't drive from New York to LA.

via RDNE Stock project/Pexels, Neal Wellons/Flickr and Karolina Wv/Pexels

An ambulance, a Waffle House and an angry bison.

While the United States is undeniably one of the most culturally dominant countries in the world, its depth and complexity go far beyond what most people understand before seeing it for themselves.

The U.S. is a melting pot of diverse cultures, histories and landscapes, creating a rich and complex national tapestry that takes time and travel to truly comprehend. Heck, even Americans ourselves have a hard time understanding each other from time to time.

It's a place where every state can feel like its own little world, each with its own traditions, accents and cuisines. So, it’s understandable that when many people from around the world visit for the first time, there are some things they probably wished they had known ahead of time.

To help people better understand America’s unique quirks, a Reddit user named AlainasBoyfriend asked the online forum, “What should a foreigner avoid while visiting the United States?” While it’s reasonable to assume the comments would be about avoiding dangerous neighborhoods or tourist traps, the conversation was a lot more positive. It was centered around the vastness of the U.S. geography and the regional differences that people from another country may not expect.

The big takeaway is that America is a huge place where our states can be as different as most countries. Any place with regions as diverse as Hawaii, Oklahoma, Alaska and New York will be hard for most people to grasp on the first visit.

Here are the 13 things foreigners should “avoid” when visiting the U.S.

1. Watch for wildlife

"If you go to the national parks, don’t attempt to take selfies with the wildlife. A full grown bison will throw you through the air like a crumpled piece of paper." — Juergen2993

"I want to really emphasize this. There are US Park Rangers who are full-time employees of the National Park Service. Their job is to protect the park, the wildlife, and visitors. Take the posted signs seriously and listen and do what rangers advise. Yearly, a dozen or so people die in the Grand Canyon National Park, often tourists who go hiking without enough water or food and are not aware of how treacherous the terrain and weather can be. Same for Big Bend NP in Texas." — aaby-rose


2. Don't underestimate the 'rural-ness'

"If you are visiting a more rural area, like Montana where I live, don't underestimate the rural-ness. You might not be able to get a hotel in a small town and there are plenty of places where there aren't any hotels or accommodations. You can take the highway and run out of gas because there aren't any gas stations for 70 miles. Also, if it is a dirt road, and there are a lot of them in the rural U.S., don't ever assume that you will have cell/GPS reception or that the dirt road goes anywhere besides 50 miles into the mountains where you can get stuck or break down." — Violet624


3. America is huge

"The flight from London to New York is only about an hour longer than the flight from New York to Seattle." — UnspecificGravity

"And we don’t have any kind of sensible train infrastructure connecting cities." — NobodyCool1234


4. You can't drive from NY to LA

"We had an exchange student from France staying with us (NY). One day, we saw her with a map of the US, said she was going to take a bus to California because she had heard so much about it on television. We had to sit down and explain it was going to take a week, each way." — MedicinalTequila

"Lol I have some German friends who flew into Texas and wanted to make a day trip to Los Angeles during the week they were in the US. After that first trip, they planned much better and now visit the country by regions and give themselves more time." — MarbleousMel

5. Give us space

"I find a lot of foreigners have about 2 1/2 inches of a personal space bubble, while us Americans value our space. Keep at least a 2-3 feet distance when conversing with strangers. I've had an Italian guy come so close I thought he was going to kiss me. Very uncomfortable for someone who isn't used to a lack of personal space." — MasterPip


6. Forget the stereotypes

"Leave all your stereotypes about America home, it's a hugely diverse country and your experience in one part of the US will be very different to your experience in another. Keep an open mind and have fun." — Zerbey

"But.. Murica!!! Seriously I try to get this across to people. The United States is not one place. Or even 50 places. It’s huge and a cultural melting pot like no other. There is absolutely no way to stereotype 'America.' Remember guys, Hawaii, Florida, New York, Alaska and Oklahoma, etc, are vastly different places. And they’re all their own unique thing, different from the next state over." — BlueIsBlackbird


7. Don't travel with pot

"Taking weed across state lines. It’s not legal everywhere." — Gromit801


8. Avoid the chains

"Don't go to the big chain-type places. Go to the mom-and-pop little restaurants and coffee shops and specialty shops. You will usually find new cool things you enjoy." — Election Proper8172

"To add to this: FOOD TRUCKS!!!" — OpeusPopeus

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9. Avoid sensitive topics

"When visiting the U.S., it's best to avoid discussing sensitive topics like politics and religion with strangers, even if they bring it up." — Vexina1997

"I'm a huge fan of Bill Burr's catch-all non-committal response: 'Hey, fair enough!' You just say, 'Hey, fair enough' to any baiting comment." — Heretic Jones


10. Be sure to tip

"Generally, you should tip at sit-down restaurants with full service (ie waiter comes and takes your order, brings food, refills drinks and clears your dishes). At these places, traditionally the minimum is 15%, but most people I know tip closer to 20% standard." — Heliawe


11. Don't get the large

"Ordering a large at a restaurant, or especially a movie theater. I don't care how hungry you think you are, you will not eat/drink it all in one sitting." — Amazing_Excuse_3860


12. Buy travel insurance

"Medical travel insurance that goes into the 7 digits. Someone from my country had the misfortune of having a stroke in the USA. 150k+ in expenses. When I went there it was my number 1 concern: getting insurance." — N0t_N1k3L

"Underrated comment. You can run, but hospital debt might find you unable to return. Use a fake name. Get a fake name and a story ready now. You do not speak English nor any modern language. When discharged, run. This also applies if you have health insurance." — univ06

"Avoid a hospital visit. Whatever you think it costs, it’s more." — pug_fugly_moe


13. Be careful around police

"Don't interact with the police unless you absolutely need to." — Snackdoc189

"If you didn't call them, don't talk to them, at all." — Shastadakota

"Yeah they're honestly not there to help you, and some will be annoyed if you ask for so much as directions." — Honestnt

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Identity

National Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin just retired at age 100. That's right, 100.

Ranger Betty became a park ranger at age 85.

National Park Service/Facebook

Ranger Betty has been a park ranger since she was 85 and is just now retiring at 100.

Many of us hope to make it to our 85th birthday in good enough health to be active. Betty Reid Soskin did far more than that when she became a park ranger for the National Park Service the year she turned 85. And for the past 15 years, she has served as a ranger at Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, sharing forgotten histories of the homefront war effort.

On March 31, the National Park Service announced that Soskin was retiring—at age 100.

Go ahead and say it with me: Wow.

However, Soskin indicated years ago that such longevity shouldn't surprise us. Her mother lived until 101, her great-grandmother lived until 102 and her great-aunt lived to 107—and they all stayed busy until their passing.

In 2020, at age 98, Soskin told KTVU "I can't believe I've reached this age. Inside is 19-year-old Betty." At that point, she had cut back from giving interpretive talks from five days to one day a week after suffering a stroke five months before, but still she kept going in her service as a park ranger. She said there was something she was still meant to do.

"I haven't any idea what it is," she said. "I have no idea, except that it's there. It's something that I am to accomplish and I haven't done it yet."

Soskin has taken her work as a ranger seriously, and countless people have enjoyed hearing her unique perspective. She became a park ranger at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park because she was driven to broaden people's understanding of the context of the war effort, including the backdrop of racism and segregation in the U.S., according to NPR.

Soskin herself was a young woman during World War II and worked as a shipyard clerk for an all-Black auxiliary lodge of the Boilermakers union. (As a Black American, she was not allowed to join as a regular member.) Her great-grandmother had been born into slavery and was still alive at that time.

"Being a primary source in the sharing of that history – my history – and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling,” said Soskin. “It has proven to bring meaning to my final years.”

Soskin has been honored multiple times over the years, earning the title of Woman of the Year in 1995 from the California Legislature and being given the honor of introducing President Obama at a tree-lighting ceremony. She has a California middle school named after her, and she is well aware of the importance of her role in sharing stories that history has too often overlooked.

"What gets remembered is a function of who's in the room doing the remembering," Soskin has said, according to NPR.

Soskin—or "Ranger Betty," as she's been known for the past decade and a half—spent her final day as a ranger providing an interpretive program to the public and visiting with friends. The National Park Service shared a message announcing her retirement and wishing her well.

“The National Park Service is grateful to Ranger Betty for sharing her thoughts and first-person accounts in ways that span across generations,” said Naomi Torres, acting superintendent of Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. “She has used stories of her life on the Home Front, drawing meaning from those experiences in ways that make that history truly impactful for those of us living today.”

If you want to enjoy one of Soskin's talks, here you go. She is, in a word, riveting. May we all live as long and as well as Ranger Betty.

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Democracy

Artists made these 40 chalk portraits honoring each passenger and crew member of Flight 93

Flight 93 National Memorial/Facebook

September 11, 2021 marks the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Two decades, yet in many ways it still feels like yesterday.

We'll never know how much worse the attack could have been, how many more buildings would have been hit if flights had not been grounded after two planes hit the World Trade Center and another hit the Pentagon. But we do know that the heroic acts of passengers and crew members on Flight 93 prevented one attack, likely on the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

After learning about the attacks in New York, passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 realized they were part of a planned attack and took matters into their own hands. A group of them stormed the cockpit and foiled the plan. The terrorists ended up crashing the plane in a rural area of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh. No one survived the crash.

To honor those on board Flight 93, Pittsburgh-based chalk artist Erik Greenawalt (also known as The Chalking Dad) and a team of artists are creating chalk portraits of each passenger and crew member at the Flight 93 National Memorial site.

The Flight 93 National Memorial shared photos of some of the portraits in progress on Wednesday, and they are stunning.

The 10 artists are using photos from the National Parks Service to create the portraits on 3-foot by 5-foot charcoal-covered canvases, which can be moved under cover if inclement weather hits. Visitors to the memorial can watch the artists work while they tour the grounds.

"I think it gives people who walk by a chance to stop and sort of absorb a little bit more of who they were—to see them as individuals," artist Shelley Brenner told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "They were people with families, neighborhoods, their own lives."

For those who knew the passengers and crew personally, the portraits honoring their loved ones are particularly mpactful.

Art is a powerful tool for creating a collective experience, so a live art installation that commemorates the 40 individuals whose lives were lost while stopping a terrorist attack feels like a fitting tribute.

Thank you, artists, for always helping us process our emotions and experiences in the most beautiful way possible.

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