The Frustration of a Social Worker

“If you don’t want your tax dollars to help the poor, then STOP saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don’t”  --Pres. Jimmy Carter

This quote speaks to one of my frustrations with the American society. As a Social Worker, obviously I believe that there should be assistance for all who legitimately need it. But we live in a society where our leaders on the federal and state levels continue to pass laws which put demands on the way I do my job, while at the same time slashing the services and ultimately the cash it takes to DO my job. Oh, and then the same people who demand that social services are cut to the marrow, then demonize those who are need of same said services. Recently I got myself blocked by a former friend on Facebook when she posted that she would be covering how to “deal” with homosexuals as a christianist (emphasis mine). I wrote, “why not just ‘love thy neighbor’ or ‘do unto the least of these’ without requiring a background check?” I know, subversive right?

While I live and work in one of the more “progressive” states in the country, I use quotes because Oregon’s progressiveness is mostly based on events of the past, and has no bearing on current public policy. I work with service providers in both the civilized portion of the state and the in-bred redneck portion. While the services providers (in this case, a specific school district) are mandated by law to provide to children with disabilities, they do their level best to get around, avoid, and procrastinate in providing those services. In this case, they are wanting to de-certify said child’s disability because the programs are understaffed and over-worked, thus relieving them of having to provide a higher level of care for this child.

I wish I could give you more details, trust me you would be as irate as I am.

What it boils down to is there is a very loud segment of the population who gets their rocks off in their fancy clubhouses on Sunday and then set about their pharisaical lives at the expense of their neighbors and the least of these.