Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-16
Eviction Threat

Members of the Northern
Virginia Committee of the
National Association of So
cial Workers, Metropolitan
Washington Chapter, are
deeply concerned about the
press reports that the Alex
andria Redevelopment and
Housing Authority threatens
to evict the family of a IA
year-old girl if she returns
to the home with her child
born out of wedlock. We have
verified the fact that this
is indeed a policy Of the
Housing Authority and has
been applied before in sim
liar situations, without re-
gard to the circumstances
and resulting hardShips. AS
citizens. taxpayers and pro-
fessional social workers. we
wish to make known to the
community our protest.
The problems involved for
the baby, the 14-year-old
child-mother and her family
are difficult enough without
complications resulting from
eviction. What choices are
open to them? If they move
from the project they must
cope with totally inadequate
housing and probably with
insoluble economic and So
cial problems. The usual
course of events is further
personal and social stresses,
strained family relationships
and progressive worsening
of the whole situation. If
the girl moves out to fend
for herself and child, the
physical, moral and social
dangers which threaten both
are obvious. Is our commu-
nifty ready to force this course
of action on a 14-year-old
child? We know it often
leads to more illegitimate chill
dren and certainly results in
serious deprivation for them
and their mother. Such &C
ton is like fighting a fire
with gasoline! Adoption?
Who can say in advance of
birth that the baby can be
placed? Who has the right
to say that the family's feel
ings, possible religious or
other scruples, shall be over
ridden and the baby forcibly
removed from the home? APP
parently the issue is not the
fitness of the home for chill
dren but the possible Con
tamination" of the housing
project by the presence of
an innocent baby totally I'M
aware and not responsible
for the circumstances of his
birth.
No social, moral or physical
problem has yet been solved
by exclusion and ostracism.
Society long ago realized the
futility of such methods for
treating mental illness. can
Ger, TB, venereal diseases
and even illegitimacy We
know these methods create
more problems in a sort of
geometric progression. Sure
ly we are not ready to turn
back the clock to the 18th
century days of THE Scarlet
Letter"
No one of us can cope
with the myriad problems of
illegitimacy alone. We must
work on them together, as
Carl T. Rowan, Minneapolis
newspaperman said recently.
Speaking before the Noun
tain States Regional Con-
ference of the American
Public Welfare Association
he listed illegitimacy along
with mental illness, alco-
holism, divorce and juvenile
delinquency as manifesto
tons of family disorganiza-
ton, and said there were no
single answers to these prob
lens. Many causes must
be met with many solutions.
The solutions are up to you
and the press and the pub
lie"
Lefty Whipple.
Secretary, Northern Vir-
GINA Committee, Ma
tional Association of
Social Workers.
7 was shocked by The Star
story that an Alexandria
family faces eviction from a
public housing project if
their l4-year-old daughter
brings home the illegitimate
child she is expecting.
This family needs help
now more than any other
time, and instead they are to
be put out in the street. This
is quite a trial for any fam
lily. l admire them for want
ing to keep the baby.