Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin publishes opinion piece in ‘Portland Press Herald’ on living up to Maine’s motto
Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Ph.D., professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Master of Social Work online program, wrote an opinion piece titled "The way life should really be: Taking care of less-fortunate Mainers" that was featured in the January 12, 2015 issue of the Portland Press Herald.
McLaughlin recounted a recent blustery day when, as he waited for the ferry home to Peak’s Island to deal with frozen pipes, he was reminded of people who face far more difficult struggles.
Struck by the irony of a homeless man wearing a sweatshirt proclaiming, "Maine, the way life should be," McLaughlin wrote, "How is it that ‘the way life should be’ means someone will struggle to find a warm place to sleep at night? Wander public space to public space in order to avoid the bitter cold? How does the collective ‘Maine’ allow this to happen?"