The work of elder justice reform moves on two tracks: the sustained theoretical argument developed elsewhere on this site, and the shorter, sharper public interventions that meet the news where it is. This section collects both — op-eds submitted to major outlets, public commentary, and advocacy writing addressed to general audiences, journalists, and policymakers. The pieces here were written for the widest possible readership. That most have not yet found a major outlet does not diminish the argument; it reflects the difficulty of placing work that challenges structural assumptions the mainstream press is still learning to name. All of them share a single premise: that the case for elder justice must be made not only in law reviews and legislative briefings, but in peer-reviewed literature, investigative reporting, and the spaces where public opinion is formed and political will is built.
Elizabeth Podnieks Asked Us a Question — On the 20th anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Philip C. Marshall returns to the question Elizabeth Podnieks left the field: whose voices are heard when an older adult is in danger — and have we even thought to ask for them? Moving from Brooke Astor to Martin Buber, from ageism to engageism, from the preposition "for" to the preposition "with" — and beyond it — this essay argues that awareness is not enough, and never was. What Elizabeth practiced, and what the field still owes her, is encounter: the willingness to be transformed by the older adult's presence rather than merely organized around their need. Published here on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
The Bank Hired a Behavioral Scientist. The Legal System Hired No One. — JPMorgan Chase is asking a new question in elder financial exploitation: not whether the transaction is suspicious, but whether the pattern of life has changed. The legal system has no equivalent. This essay, co-authored with Charles E. Wallace Jr., argues that the person who already knows — the teller, the family member, the trusted associate — needs a formal place in both systems.
The Neighbor Who Noticed: Concerned Persons and the Architecture of Elder Justice — Published in the Concord Monitor on May 30, 2026, in advance of the Northern New England Regional FAST Conference keynote at Saint Anselm College, this essay introduces the Concerned Person — the neighbor, friend, or family member most likely to detect elder financial exploitation before it becomes irreversible — and argues that the legal system has recognized their duty to report but not their right to be heard. Prevention requires rights, not just awareness. The next New Hampshire State Plan on Aging is an occasion to finally give them both.
Beyond Rule 2165: Why Authority and Verification Must Remain Separate — FINRA Rule 4512 requires broker-dealers to collect a trusted contact for non-institutional accounts. Nothing requires anyone to verify that something is actually wrong before that contact's authority is exercised. This essay, co-authored with Charles E. Wallace Jr., argues that financial institutions, regulators, and even well-meaning reform proposals keep collapsing two distinct questions — who is allowed to act, and whether anything is actually wrong — into one. Authority without verification is a door left open before anyone has checked what’s on the other side. Verification without authority is a warning no one is positioned to act on. Elder financial exploitation prevention requires both, and requires them to stay separate. A shorter version appeared in Financial Advisor, July 22, 2026.