Letters to the Editor: Debt and Mental Health
Local chapter of mental health group ready to assist
To the Editor:
Thank you for publishing the Guest Editorial “Talking about mental health is so important” by Rep. Johnson from Texas.
In her editorial, Rep. Johnson mentioned NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). We have an active affiliate of NAMI, NAMI NW Piedmont, that serves the citizens in Forsyth, Stokes, and Davie Counties. This all-volunteer organization offers free support groups for those with a mental illness diagnosis and for their families.
We also teach educational courses to help both family members and those diagnosed with a mental illness understand their illness and successfully deal with it.
NAMI NW Piedmont members advocate with our government officials and serve on committees to improve services for those with a mental illness.
We encourage interested people to contact us to see which of our programs can be of help. Email lwhealton@gmail.com to get more information.
Louise Whealton, Chairman, NAMI NW Piedmont, Winston-Salem
Court ruling leaves poor vulnerable in debt cases
To the Editor:
Today’s [June 12] ruling by the [U.S.] Supreme Court leaves minority communities and poor people vulnerable to predatory and abusive behavior at the hands of a rapidly growing “debt buying” industry.
We know that minority communities and poor people are especially vulnerable to the abusive conduct of “debt buyers” and debt collectors generally.
The Court’s decision will incentivize the further expansion of a growing industry of companies that have been focused on the purchase of debt as a means to evading the important protections afforded by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Congress and states must act now to provide necessary protection for consumers.
Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington, D.C.
Note: The June 12 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Henson v Santander Consumer USA Inc. found “debt buyers” are not subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination.
