wsj- I beg to differ.
It became clear to me from my days of participating in and then periodically reviewing the RB chatboard, that the ownership of this particular stock caused measurable harm to a number of posters and their families. That harm included, in my estimation, the following:
1. Severe financial distress, including deprivation or diminishment of retirement goals, college funding, rent or mortgage obligations, and the necessities of living, culminating in personal bankruptcies for some.
2. Marital discord and the weakening or, in some cases, the fracturing of the family structure.
3. Aggravation and/or acceleration of unrelated or pre-existing physical illness, including cancer, in more than one case.
4. Aggravation or exacerbation of mental illness, including but not limited to depression, stress, and anxiety, along with aggravation or exacerbation of the physical manifestations accompanying said mental illnesses.
5. Illness and yes, in some cases, self-harm, due to the disappointment and literally, broken hearts, over the realization that this company was not capable of achieving anything that had been anticipated and that, alas, all invested funds would be lost, if one didn't abandon the ship.
Real, measurable, documentable carnage occurred here. Individuals and families were in many case devastated by the decisions to invest heavily and remain in this equity.
