In thinking about covid relief: there are two competing drives...1. to make sure that every struggling family receives support and 2. desire to prevent anyone "unworthy" or "unnecessary" from receiving survival payments. /1

We are in a global pandemic that has caused severe economic and social crises (NYT special section on mothers excellent on this) & there seems to be widespread recognition that this moment demands bold action to support our neighbors. this is admirable /2

Yet, American culture's narrow understanding of "need" and the strand hostile towards government (this strand has spent the last 40 yrs as largely dominant constricting social protection systems) lead to a fixation by some on who is "deserving" /3

The same cultural mechanism that looks down on the poor, leads to ever narrowing definition of "who counts" this then flips on its head as such that "need"= a rising bar to meet in order to be "deserving." Add geographical bias & genuine concern for struggling neighbors fades /4

It fades into the background as the focus becomes on making sure ONLY the "really poor" "really struggling" receive support but after decades of stigmatizing poverty - the picture is so distorted....that now in a global pandemic the distortion seems even more perverse /5

In the obsession with "income cut offs" in defining the lower middle class, as it is clear that the struggling middle is currently the locus of "whose deserving" - as a nation, our representatives have a choice - and it is a clear choice /6

We can EITHER focus on making sure all our struggling neighbors receive support needed for survival & hopefully to stop descent into poverty & bolster resilience OR we can make sure no one "unnecessary" receives a survival check. It is a binary choice. /7

As a Catholic ethicist, for me, choice is clear. Its why I support the voices of @AOC @SenWarren @BernieSanders @SenSherrodBrown @RepKatiePorter No one is proposing aid to the super rich or corporations but a less judgmental & more inclusive view of our neighbor is needed /end