Seattle Times, Week of April 11, 1967 

REAL MORAL OFFENSE

Editor, The Times:

I responded with mixed feelings, outrage and fear, to recent news coverage of Pope Paul’s outspoken attack on the foundations of our society. To paraphrase both his tone and purport: Rich nations have all obligation to tax their wealth and redistribute it to the poor until equipollency is reached; the profit motive is the basic cause of evil and suffering in our society…

To discredit the profit motive is to attack the one factor that is more than any other responsible for the present high level of existence we enjoy. The search for personal profit is, in fact, so basic to our way of living that a rigid demonstration of its importance is unnecessary here…

A capitalistic economy such as ours with its attending free market of ideas (and even considering the vast amount of restrictions we have placed upon ourselves) is demonstrably more efficient, more democratic and more just than—and thus superior to—any other system of economic production…

To take from the man who has been rewarded for his diligent application of the principle of personal profit and give it to one who lacks the ability, intelligence or zeal to do likewise is the real moral offense…

—R.G. Williscroft
16528 37th Ave NE
Seattle