Human Rights
by Llewellyn J. Cornelius, Ph.D., LCSW
As both a teacher and practitioner for more than three decades, I never thought I would have to write about the importance of basic freedoms that are part of the American Social Democracy - that is, balancing freedom of speech with practicing civility. Yet, here I am. We live now in a society where some have used code words to twist social democratic principles to fit unsocial democratic ideologies. For example, some are saying that there should be “free speech” on campus, without allowing for free speech for all. Others are saying that we should practice “religious freedom,” without allowing for the expression of variations of religious beliefs within a denomination, let alone across denominations. The hidden code behind this word war is that of the promotion of one point of view at the expense of another point of view - a zero sum game - as opposed to focusing on the intersection of race/ethnicity/social class/gender/sexual orientation and so on. Rather than seeing America as an expansion based on the complex intersection of people, they focus on using seemingly politically patriotic terms to foster division, anger, and fights among sub groups - the classic game of oppression at its finest.
Having named this tactic, what should be the counter tactic? The social work counter tactic to this game of oppression should be that of social workers assertively supporting platforms such as the NASW Code of Ethics or the International Code of Human Rights that supports the tolerance of differences and fosters creativity and diversity. We need to see the world as expanding by our multiculturalism, not contracting.
This commentary is an intentional reminder that, yes, at a minimum, we are ALL entitled to certain freedoms as written in the U.S. Constitution. Yet, these freedoms are for us ALL to have, even if we simply agree to disagree on issues, since that is what a social democracy is supposed to be all about. We do not have to agree with each other; yet, we should respect each other. To agree to this principle means that we agree to the notion of civil discourse.
However, we have to be careful not to think that civility is the be all and end all. The NASW Code of Ethics encourages social workers to combat isms, discrimination, oppression, and violence. As such, social workers are being asked to do more than just politely disagree, especially when others are deliberately using ideologies that counter the principles in our code of ethics, whether it occurs in the work setting, at school, or via social media. We need to see practicing civility as only a necessary minimum in a range of other social justice and human rights activities we should call upon to live out the NASW Code of Ethics.
Dr. Llewellyn J. Cornelius is the Donald Lee Hollowell Distinguished Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice Studies and Director of the Center for Social Justice, Human, and Civil Rights at the University of Georgia.