09/18/2025
Call to Arms: A Response to Harmful Rhetoric Against the Homeless and Mentally Ill
From: Steve Miccio, CPRP
CEO, People USA
We Must Speak Out 🗣️
Last week, a national television host, Brian Kilmeade, made a statement so profoundly inhumane that it cannot go unanswered. In discussing homelessness and mental illness, he said, “Just kill ’em,” referring to people who are among the most vulnerable in our society. Though he has since apologized, the damage of such rhetoric is real, and the silence of others in the moment was deafening 1 2.
This is not just a media misstep. It reflects a dangerous mindset that devalues human life and perpetuates stigma against those living with mental illness and experiencing homelessness.
Why This Matters âť“
Words have power. When public figures normalize violence—even rhetorically—against marginalized groups, it emboldens others and erodes our collective humanity.
Mental illness is not a crime. It is a part of our overall health, and homelessness is a systemic failure—not a personal one.
We know what works. Evidence-based interventions like Housing First, peer support, and compassionate and trauma-informed care save lives. Killing people is not a solution—it is a moral and societal collapse.
What We Must Do đź’ˇ
This is a call to arms—not of violence, but of compassion, advocacy, and action.
Learn! Learn about the services and resources in your community
Speak out against dehumanizing rhetoric wherever it appears.
Educate others about the realities of mental illness and homelessness.
Support policies that prioritize housing, treatment, and dignity.
Hold media accountable for the narratives they promote.
Show up—in shelters, in boardrooms, in legislatures—to demand better.
A Personal Invitation 🤝
To those who believe in justice, empathy, and the value of every human life: join me in rejecting hate and building systems of care. Let us be louder than the voices of cruelty. Let us be the reason someone chooses to live.
“The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable.”
Let us be measured by our courage, our compassion, and our refusal to be silent.
