March 14, 2021 An extraordinary number of messages suggesting, in effect, that "COVID is over!," are suddenly saturating popular culture. Inducements to celebration seems to be coming from all sides - news stories along the lines of "looking back on the year of the pandemic," advertisements touting all the opportunities to "break out of seclusion," … Continue reading Social workers, please note: the pandemic is NOT over!
Category: Commentary
Social workers should strongly oppose elimination of the Mississippi income tax
February 26, 2021 Mississippi legislators are in process of eliminating the state's income tax, a "bold proposal" recently touted by Governor Reeves in his state of the state address, while at once substantially raising the regressive sales tax. House Bill 1439 has already passed the House, and is under consideration by the Senate. The case … Continue reading Social workers should strongly oppose elimination of the Mississippi income tax
Social workers should reject bad ideas on both sides of Trump 2nd impeachment trial
February 13, 2021 On the eve of Valentine's Day, Senate Republicans today sent former president Donald Trump the biggest bouquet of flowers you can imagine. Trump was, for the second time now, acquitted of "high crimes of misdemeanors" in his failure to uphold the Constitution of the United States. It's surely tempting for social workers, … Continue reading Social workers should reject bad ideas on both sides of Trump 2nd impeachment trial
What should social workers make of Trump’s (second) impeachment trial?
February 10, 2021 Given former President Trump's total disregard for issues of social and economic justice, I have a hard time understanding how any social worker could have ever supported him, let alone support him now, in face of Trump's evidence-free insistence that the Biden victory was fraudulent and the related January 6 assault on … Continue reading What should social workers make of Trump’s (second) impeachment trial?
Social workers don’t care for Gov. Reeves’ brand of “boldness”
January 27, 2001 Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves delivered his "state of the state" address yesterday to a Covid-emptied legislative chamber in Jackson. It's been a rough year for both Reeves and the state - a bumper crop of natural disasters, a racial justice crisis, a collapsing economy, and, of course, the never-ending pandemic. Against a … Continue reading Social workers don’t care for Gov. Reeves’ brand of “boldness”
Take note, social workers: Trump more symptom than cause
January 23, 2021 The vast majority of U.S. social workers were rightfully outraged by most social policy associated with the Trump administration. Racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, not to mention the deliberate extension of gross economic inequality, widespread bald corruption, endemic disregard for the truth and contempt for scientific evidence - these signature features of Trump … Continue reading Take note, social workers: Trump more symptom than cause
Social workers: Let’s remember the real Martin Luther King
January 18, 2021 Today is MLK Day, so let us, on this national holiday celebrated in the shadow of 2020's despicable surge of reactionary white supremacist violence, pause to recall some insights of King the radical Christian egalitarian, expressed in his marvelous 1967 speech, "Where Do We Go From Here?": "Depressed living standards for Negroes … Continue reading Social workers: Let’s remember the real Martin Luther King
Social workers should resist calls for “unity” and “reconciliation” at this fraught moment
January 14, 2021 No doubt hoping to reduce the misery attending the first days of his presidency, Joe Biden is optimistically pleading for bi-partisan "unity," "reconciliation," and "healing" in light of the botched January 6 insurrection by Trump's cult followers. He shouldn't be, and social workers, despite their proclivity for the peaceful resolution of conflict, … Continue reading Social workers should resist calls for “unity” and “reconciliation” at this fraught moment
NASW calls for Trump’s immediate removal from office; but what then?
January 11, 2021 NASW-DC (the national office) issued a press release endorsing President Trump's rapid removal from office, either by way of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution or via the Congressional impeachment process. Insisting on "accountability," the brief statement reads, in part - "The despicable attempted coup of our government by a white supremacist … Continue reading NASW calls for Trump’s immediate removal from office; but what then?
White supremacist assault on Capitol – should social workers be surprised?
January 7, 2021 Yes, hindsight is 20/20, but the indications were already clearly visible for anyone to see: Trump said repeatedly, beginning even before the 2020 presidential election voting started, that he would only accept an election outcome in which he won. Trump and the Trump campaign ginned up one allegation of voting conspiracy or … Continue reading White supremacist assault on Capitol – should social workers be surprised?
