At What Cost? • SJS

My expertise on this legislative session to this point has solely fueled the deep-rooted rage and frustration inside me that has persevered because the begin of my social work training.

For many people, social work will not be merely a profession selection. It is part of who we’re; it’s a part of our character, our ardour, and what we firmly stand for. For me, social work is a occupation that identifies the deep wounds in our susceptible and marginalized populations. It’s a occupation that seeks to be a voice for the unvoiced. Nonetheless, these identical the explanation why I’m deeply enthusiastic about social work have engulfed a storm of confusion and frustration inside me. How can we make folks, typically folks in energy, care about susceptible folks? How can we make others empathize with the ache that the populations we serve really feel with each passing day?

In my time on the Texas Capitol, I’ve been uncovered to the deep flaws in our state and nationwide politics. We’re surrounded by politicians and leaders that continuously select revenue over human life; politicians that solely care in regards to the depth of their pockets over the lifetime of their neighbor standing on the facet of the road.

I perceive partisan points. I perceive some arguments that polarize our society. What I don’t perceive is why human life is a debatable matter, why the well-being and human-hood of the adults and youngsters round us is a partisan concern.

This has turn into extra evident throughout the previous weeks as Texas skilled a lethal and disastrous winter storm. Thousands and thousands of Texans skilled energy outages and 14 million Texans didn’t have entry to scrub water of their properties. It is a direct results of our state leaders actively choosing profit greater than the well-being of over 20 million folks. What occurred throughout this time may have been averted, if solely our state leaders selected to spend money on inexperienced infrastructure and take vitality effectivity measures years again. As a substitute, this act of negligence resulted within the horrific deaths of people across the state; deaths that can endlessly be within the fingers of our state leaders.

This stark negligence is just one of many many examples of revenue and cash being valued greater than human life. Texas is amongst the worst-performing states for children’s well-being. However college students are instructed to pledge allegiance to a state that doesn’t worth or spend money on them. Texas has the most uninsured people in the nation. But, individuals are anticipated to jeopardize their well-being by working a number of jobs and incomes under residing wages to merely survive.

My level is, there’s a massive disconnect between the wealthy and the poor; between state leaders and most of their constituents. Texas elects leaders that fly out to lay on the beach whereas a child froze to death in his own home as a result of direct decisions these leaders made. We elect leaders that want to put homeless people out of sight for the sake of beautifying a metropolis however fail to deal with the very first purpose why these individuals are homeless. We elect leaders that intentionally put the lives of Texans at stake for the sake of political achieve whereas over 44,000 Texans have died of a lethal pandemic.

It’s tough being in a occupation that we’re so enthusiastic about. Caring about others and valuing human life looks like the conventional and proper factor to do. It’s considerably staggering to see how only a few folks share this identical worth. I consider a part of being human is the power to empathize together with your neighbor within the midst of ache and struggling. Someplace alongside the road, there lies a disconnect. For a lot of, the massive hole between the wealthy and the poor clouds that humanness.

I wish to know what number of politicians that oppose progressive values have been on the heart of damage and hardships. I wish to know what number of of them have served at homeless shelters and took the time to actively hear folks’s tales. What number of of those politicians have seen or skilled what it feels wish to not know the place their subsequent meal goes to come back from; how it’s a must to select between your well being or paying hire subsequent month? What number of politicians actually have seen, heard, or skilled these hardships that they proceed to show a blind eye to?

Social work is a occupation that goals to be a voice for the unvoiced. By means of my training and legislative internship, I’ve been given a chance to be that voice whereas additionally serving to others achieve their voice. It’s simple to really feel hopeless in a world the place human life is seen as meaningless in comparison with revenue. As we embark on nationwide Social Work Month, it’s important to focus on the integral facet of the social work occupation in politics and in human lives throughout our nation. It’s due to the work social staff do and due to our deep-rooted passions for advocacy and coverage that we’re in a position to change the tradition of our state. It may not occur tomorrow or subsequent yr, however small steps all the time result in larger issues.

We’re within the midst of structural modifications. Inside the previous yr, our nation has been shaken and challenged. We’ve seen the neglect and irresponsibility of our authorities and state leaders. We’ve additionally seen the modifications that may come up when folks come collectively. Grassroots organizations and advocacy teams throughout our state have been doing this important job of elevating the voices of marginalized and susceptible folks for years. We want extra social staff and different service-led professionals in energy. We want extra legislators like Rep. Anchia, which might be repeatedly advocating for progressive values that amplify the voices of susceptible and marginalized teams of our communities. We want people who have seen injustices first-hand to be part of making selections. We have to worth people and their well-being greater than we worth our achieve and opulence.

by Tsion Amare, intern with Rep. Rafael Anchia

Initially posted from College of Houston Graduate College of Social Work’s Austin Legislative Internship Program. The Faculty selects graduate MSW college students to intern on the Texas Legislature throughout its legislative session each two years. This publish was syndicated with permission from its authors.