Pubdate: Sat, 17 Mar 2001
Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC)
Copyright: 2001 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation
Contact:  P.O. Box 490, Hendersonville, NC 28793
Fax: 828-692-2319
Website: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/
Author: Patti K. Owen
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n427/a01.html

STOP JUDGING, START HELPING ADDICTS

To The Editor: I am responding to Stephen Black's article "The real way to 
fight drugs," published last Saturday.

I respect Stephen so for this article of "truth." There are so many 
hypocrites out there preaching to everyone about addictions.

Now, in my opinion, there are hundreds of addictions -- food, tobacco, 
alcohol, antidepressants, sex, shopping, exercise, rage, etc. The list goes 
on and on. These are all as serious as the "drugs" that we parents, 
pastors, teachers, law officers, doctors, are referring to with Just Say No 
To Drugs bumper stickers on our cars.

Why don't we as a nation realize that we are all in some way addicted to 
something, realize the cause, stop judging and try helping.

In my opinion a cocaine addict is no sicker than a food addict. All of the 
above addictions are dangerous and kill.

Only an intelligent individual like Stephen Black has the intellect to see 
and speak the truth. That offends many in the Bible Belt.

I agree 100 percent with him and guess what? Maybe it is because our 
mothers were sisters and taught us that old Biblical phrase many don't like 
to hear: Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Life is not a bowl of cherries. It is full of hate, divorce, racism and 
homelessness, and God just doesn't wave a magic wand and take that all 
away. That is our job!

Patti K. Owen, Saluda
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