Thanks Erica - I'm not brilliant, but I am an addict - addicted to salt, sugar, and to optimism.
I read your article from the bottom up, as I wasn't sure if it was worth the time - it is long.
It was worth it, and still disappointing, because for those of us who have at least a clue what's happening, and why, the fundamental systemic, structural problems in society are not being addressed successfully, or on a scale equal to the enormity of the problem.
When dangerous drugs are being manufactured just about everywhere near you in small illegal labs, at the same time professionally made drugs are being smuggled into the US by every means imaginable, by the pound, the ton, and the shipload, the responses required to stop it have to match the demand, and they never have. It seems to me that denial is the key to failure.
Two things our society makes by the boat load are denial, and stubbornness. Our people seem to prefer Hollywood fantasy land to real life where work is much harder, and problems are not solved in 30min to hr. episodes.
Our problem is thinking that doing the same things the same old ways, or even doing essentially the same old things in new ways, we make it better - it hasn't, and it won't. Proof? Look outside and see what's happening all around us. The fact that there are still tons of places where things look normal, and people are happy hides the truth, behind closed doors, and family shame.
Do we need and Odyssey House and an Uncle Ricky on every corner in every town and city? Most would probably say oh no, we don't want that here (NIMBY). Some would say the same thing about police. Yet maybe they are wrong. Think about our society as a living body, and all of us individuals are the cells of that body. The MD has told the body that it has an aggressive cancer, but the body is so big, and so strong, and so arrogant, that it refuses to take the MD's advice. Guess what happens over decades? Yes - the cancer spreads. Unlike us as individuals,
our society is far bigger, and has proven able to withstand great suffering and loss for many decades, but eventually, things reach a tipping point, and like a person alone in the ocean, they can't swim forever, but they can float, and they can tread water, but eventually they will become exhausted, and gently slip under to a quiet death. Of course most of us are far too busy to see any of this, and not interested in getting emotionally worked up over situations we feel completely powerless to fix. That's where leadership comes in. You and I, and everyone else who is caring enough to write on this subject are planting seeds, and ringing warning alarm bells. The BIG Q is are the elected officials, and over paid professionals listening?
what a beautiful response, Tony. Thank you. This is all so heartbreaking and i wish that everyone -- everyone! -- would be able to get the care they need. I can't imagine the agony of trying to kick a drug habit. people need so much love and support so they can. and belief. everyone needs someone to say (and keep saying) "I believe in you." Peace -- Erica
Thanks Erica - My sense of this is that we are fighting a war on multiple fronts, and there is nothing harder than that. We're fighting human nature (escapism, and pain management). mental health needs, super greed and amorality of the sellers, societal norms (driven by strong beliefs and denial), and political barriers (what is political suicide = legalized sins).
We live in a time where there is far too much knowledge, and experience to make any excuses for not fixing what is clearly broken. People must be making billions from the suffering of others, and have mastered the art of saying they care, while opposing whatever
measures would be needed to really make the difference.
We live in a great world of paradoxes where everything seems possible, yet certain things don't get done. We love out cats and dogs, yet people insist on not having them fixed, and the result looks like millions of loving animals put to death each year. We treat mental health even worse, and we see those results daily in the news and on the streets.
We can't let this all get us down, because it isn't in us to give up. The answers are in change. First we have to stop doing the things that create more of the same problems, then work backward to helping those stuck in it.
Thanks Erica - I'm not brilliant, but I am an addict - addicted to salt, sugar, and to optimism.
I read your article from the bottom up, as I wasn't sure if it was worth the time - it is long.
It was worth it, and still disappointing, because for those of us who have at least a clue what's happening, and why, the fundamental systemic, structural problems in society are not being addressed successfully, or on a scale equal to the enormity of the problem.
When dangerous drugs are being manufactured just about everywhere near you in small illegal labs, at the same time professionally made drugs are being smuggled into the US by every means imaginable, by the pound, the ton, and the shipload, the responses required to stop it have to match the demand, and they never have. It seems to me that denial is the key to failure.
Two things our society makes by the boat load are denial, and stubbornness. Our people seem to prefer Hollywood fantasy land to real life where work is much harder, and problems are not solved in 30min to hr. episodes.
Our problem is thinking that doing the same things the same old ways, or even doing essentially the same old things in new ways, we make it better - it hasn't, and it won't. Proof? Look outside and see what's happening all around us. The fact that there are still tons of places where things look normal, and people are happy hides the truth, behind closed doors, and family shame.
Do we need and Odyssey House and an Uncle Ricky on every corner in every town and city? Most would probably say oh no, we don't want that here (NIMBY). Some would say the same thing about police. Yet maybe they are wrong. Think about our society as a living body, and all of us individuals are the cells of that body. The MD has told the body that it has an aggressive cancer, but the body is so big, and so strong, and so arrogant, that it refuses to take the MD's advice. Guess what happens over decades? Yes - the cancer spreads. Unlike us as individuals,
our society is far bigger, and has proven able to withstand great suffering and loss for many decades, but eventually, things reach a tipping point, and like a person alone in the ocean, they can't swim forever, but they can float, and they can tread water, but eventually they will become exhausted, and gently slip under to a quiet death. Of course most of us are far too busy to see any of this, and not interested in getting emotionally worked up over situations we feel completely powerless to fix. That's where leadership comes in. You and I, and everyone else who is caring enough to write on this subject are planting seeds, and ringing warning alarm bells. The BIG Q is are the elected officials, and over paid professionals listening?
what a beautiful response, Tony. Thank you. This is all so heartbreaking and i wish that everyone -- everyone! -- would be able to get the care they need. I can't imagine the agony of trying to kick a drug habit. people need so much love and support so they can. and belief. everyone needs someone to say (and keep saying) "I believe in you." Peace -- Erica
Thanks Erica - My sense of this is that we are fighting a war on multiple fronts, and there is nothing harder than that. We're fighting human nature (escapism, and pain management). mental health needs, super greed and amorality of the sellers, societal norms (driven by strong beliefs and denial), and political barriers (what is political suicide = legalized sins).
We live in a time where there is far too much knowledge, and experience to make any excuses for not fixing what is clearly broken. People must be making billions from the suffering of others, and have mastered the art of saying they care, while opposing whatever
measures would be needed to really make the difference.
We live in a great world of paradoxes where everything seems possible, yet certain things don't get done. We love out cats and dogs, yet people insist on not having them fixed, and the result looks like millions of loving animals put to death each year. We treat mental health even worse, and we see those results daily in the news and on the streets.
We can't let this all get us down, because it isn't in us to give up. The answers are in change. First we have to stop doing the things that create more of the same problems, then work backward to helping those stuck in it.
Almost everyone uses drugs at some point in their lives, probably even you.
And smart people are far more likely to use illicit drugs.
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20111114/high-iq-in-childhood-may-predict-later-drug-use
And yes addiction is a tragedy and we should do what we can to help those addicted.
Those things can all be true at the same time.