Stop blaming the victims 

It is always a travesty to read vitriolic filth in the local paper. "Enabling a crisis" (Nov. 14) by Mr. Maccarone is just another display of a unfortunate American slogan: "Blame the victim."

This man has the gall to label the poorest in our society as "parasites." These are our fellow human beings, and they too deserve dignity and respect.

Instead of vilifying homelessness, you should wonder, why is there so much poverty and dispossession in America? Did Mr. Maccarone feel the same about giving away free stuff when Wall Street was rewarded trillions of tax dollars for paralyzing our economy 11 years ago? And how many of the homeless and paupers in this country are in their predicaments because of Wall Street's recklessness? It's pretty hard to pick yourself up when compounding debts keep crushing your ability to be solvent.

Wages have been stagnant for decades while basic costs keep inflating. Labor and industry are financially sucked dry because of this high-cost and indebted society we live in. Since 2008, the majority of economic "growth" has consisted of credit card and banking carrying charges and inflated asset prices, not industrial capital formation.

The parasites that are halting our productive powers from creating a more harmonious and equitable society are market institutions in plain sight. This should reveal the true parasite that's infected and perverted our nation's chain of thought, a parasite that claims to be essential but is in fact draining the host: It's the finance, insurance, and real estate sector.

Garland Miller

Atascadero