Proud to Practice

I am offended by NASW President James Kelly's November column statement that "social work educators are the backbone of the social work profession." I had a visceral response to reading it — the statement took away my breath and punched me in the gut. For a sharing profession, this appears self-aggrandizement. Why would the social work profession ever choose among its members that one category is better than another, and create divisions rather than bridges?

I did not choose to be a social worker because of a social work educator. I chose the social work profession long before I ever had a social work teacher. I chose social work upon the direct observation of practicing social workers.

Carolyn Hubenak, LCSW, ACSW
Wharton, Texas

Help People Help Themselves

I concur with the opinions offered by Ursula Falk (Letters, January News) regarding the new health care plan. This plan will not solve the problem, but will serve to diminish the coverage of many working people already in place. As a medical social worker in a hospital and a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I strongly support the idea that the best help we can give people is to help them help themselves. We are not doing that, but are encouraging increased dependence on government to take care of everybody. This is not healthy. The workers and companies being increasingly taxed are becoming fewer and fewer. How can one person's taxes provide for 10 or even more? That scenario just leads to more and more people needing help.

Patricia Bader, LCSW, ACSW Rockaway, N.J.

Health Care, Not 'Handout'

I am astonished that Ursula Falk (Letters, January News). considers a decent health care system a "handout." Many other countries have managed to devise systems of health care that cost less and have better outcomes than ours. Have all these countries weakened the moral fiber of their citizens? Do we consider public libraries and clean water systems handouts?

Dell Goldsmith
Portland, Ore.

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