any less essential to our operations. your dedication, your intelligence, and your sound judgment are the brick and mortar elements of all we do. we all depend on your good work. and i know it will continue. one of the great -- [ applause ] one of the great challenges and thrills for the state department staff is deciding how to confront changing conditions in every corner of the world. and i encourage all of you to use your that much and well-developed skills to adapt to changes here at home as well. i know this was a hotly contested election and we do not all feel the same way about the outcome. each of us is entitled to the expression of our political beliefs. but we cannot let other personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team. let us be understanding with each other about the times we