From the Executive Director

My Night with a Republican

By Janlee Wong, MSW

Recently at a social gathering of legislators, I had an excellent conversation with a Republican (the Senator). Being a lifelong Democrat, having been influenced by my Uncle Poy during the Kennedy–Nixon race in 1960, I wasn’t expecting this conversation given the hugely polarized political climate we live in.

The conversation started with how appalled we were with the low voter turnout in elections and how the Senator felt it was largely due to education deficits in public policy and civics. I couldn’t agree more. I told him every social work education program has a strong dose of policy classes and often this is the first time that students had even discussed how policy influences the environment we live in. Without policy we are condemned to have things done to us rather than having the ability to make things happen for us.

We discussed the recent brouhaha about partially restoring affirmative action in higher education. The Senator, while acknowledging the need for all groups to have a chance at education, felt merit should also be an equal consideration. No disagreement here. The question is how to bring that about. I told him about the wonderful diversity in social work education throughout the state and that somehow that’s a model that we need to encourage in all of higher ed. He seemed impressed.

We talked about the professions and how policy was being made by people who aren’t in the profession. He often voted on things that he felt the profession should decide. I agreed, stating that in my mind there was a thin bright line between consumer protection (which policy makers had a key role in) and practice, which should be monitored and regulated by the profession. He nodded.

At the end of the evening, I knew that if Republicans and Democrats could have more conversations like we had, we could solve a lot more problems and our world would be a much better place. My dad was a Republican so our household was bipartisan from the beginning. I’m glad that California has some thoughtful members of both parties who do get things done in the Legislature.

Now if only we could have that in Washington DC.