LETTERS
Re “Susan Atkins, 1948-2009: Manson follower imprisoned in Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969,” Obituary, Sept. 26
In the obituary of Manson follower Susan Atkins, it was noted that her father sold the family home and furnishings to pay hospital bills after her mother died of cancer when Atkins was 15.
The family never recovered, her father disappeared into alcoholism and then eventually disappeared altogether, and the children were left to the care of relatives and foster homes.
One can’t help but wonder how many lives might not have been wasted if we lived in a country in which no one has to go bankrupt to pay for medical care.
Chuck Ranberg
Los Angeles
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