The Human Cost of the Recession

[ysabetwordsmith]

Rates of suicide and some violent crimes are rising in response to the recession, especially relating to foreclosures. Desperate people do desperate things. The best solution is to avoid cornering people in the first place. The fallout is not just bad for the individual who snaps, it is dangerous for everyone around them, frequently affecting innocents. Foreclosure does not really do anybody any good, including the banks; better options can and should be found in most cases. And if someone seriously seems to be on the edge, you pull them back to safety, you do not push them over. Many of these cases involve people who are elderly, disabled, or otherwise unable to recover from eviction. That is disgraceful on the part of society.

Nick Turse | The Rising Body Count on Main Street: The Human Fallout From the Financial Crisis
Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com: "The fallout from the current subprime mortgage debacle and the economic one that followed has thrown lives into turmoil across the country. In recent days, the Associated Press, ABC News, and others have begun to address the burgeoning body count, especially suicides attributed to the financial crisis."

Comments

[brigidsblest.livejournal.com]

When I read things like this, it seems perfectly obvious to me what is going on, but of course, those in the upper echelons of wealth claim that everything is business as usual. How many people have to die before they admit there's a pattern?

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

While individual rich people may care, as a group, they don't care if other people get hurt as long as they themselves continue making money. They will only care if something affects their cash flow.

Look for ways to make that happen. Some citizens are already starting to protest evictions. A high rate of evictions damages a community anyhow. Put pressure on banks and businesses to find other solutions.

Also slam the culprits in the Court of Public Opinion. Watch your local newspaper and keep your ears open for word of people who are in foreclosure. In case of desperation suicide or violence, check the backtrail, and if it seems some company pushed the person over the edge, make noise. Squall at the company(s) and write a letter to the editor of local papers describing the situation.