I think that's an oversimplification. Some people take recreational drugs because their social circle expects them to. And I would hardly characterize taking pain medication for severe or chronic pain "the easy route". Pain can be incapacitating. Rush Limbaugh apparently has ruptured spinal disks. Take a look into the quantity of pain that can cause. He tried surgery to fix the problem. It failed. And the spine is a very dicey thing to be cutting into.
This is true of both Legal and illegal drugs. Both are serious errors in judgement. both are symtoms of poor character.
I'm sorry, but I do not equate taking pain killers to end severe and chronic pain with poor character. Indeed, I think it is common for people of good character to overestimate their resistence to addiction. And I don't necessarily equate giving into an addiction a sign of poor character, either.
It is true that the manner in which Rush became addicted is, to a degree, less culpable than one that becomes addicted to outright illegal narcotics...and is certainly less criminal. But, he is DEFINITELY NOT AND INNOCENT BYSTANDER.
He is not innocent, to the degree that he may have gotten his drugs from an illegal supplier. But do you fully understand all of the risks of each and every medicine that your doctor prescribes to you? A doctor prescribed the pain killers to Rush. He became addicted to them. Should I expect a medical doctor or a radio announcer to have a better grasp of the health effects of pain killers? Or do you simply think Rush should have endured the pain of a ruptured spinal disk? Or do you discount the idea that addiction can rob an otherwise strong person of their willpower?
He is deserving of severe criticism for his actions especially considering his strong opinions on the subject.
I think the only criticism he deserves is over his lack of sensitivity and understanding toward addicted users. Perhaps he'll display a more well-rounded understanding of drug addiction in the future. As I've asked others, should I draw the conclusion that these pain killers should be sold over the counter like Life Savers or Tic Tacs from Rush's hearing loss and addiction?
Apparently, rush just doesn't have the "intestinal fortude" to be trusted with pain killers as a mature adult would.
I think you miss the point that many mature adults don't have the "intestinal fortitude" to deal with highly addictive substance because the problem with them is that they rob you of your "intestinal fortitude". The brain is a chemical machine that reacts to the chemicals put into it, regardless of your "intestinal fortitude". Just as the famous case of Phineas Gage showed that brain damage can change a person's personality and will:
In 1848 a hardworking young man by the name of Phineas Gage entered the annals of medical history when he survived a horrible accident that drove an iron spike through his head, obliterating part of his frontal cortex. While he could still function after the accident, his demeanor changed. No longer the sober, hardworking young railroad foreman he had been, he now swore profusely, drank, and got into fights.
...so can changing the chemistry of the brain through drugs. As much as we like to romanticize the soul and thing in terms of the mind and body being seperate, the mind is a function of they physical brain. Change the brain and you change the mind. That's what addictive substances do. They rob people of the ability to make rational choices by making their use seem rational and necessary, as necessary as breating, eating, and sleeping.
He took the easy route. He caved in to his appetite...
In what way? By seeking relieve from severe chronic pain? By giving in to a chemical addiction that is a known side effect of the pain killer?
not surprising considering his weight problem...I guess. Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised at his weaknesses.
Ah, so you are one of those people who believe that all weight problems are caused by weakness, too.
Lot me ask you a few personal questions. Do you gain weight if you consume more than 900 calories a day like some overweight people do, yet manage to remain thin? Do you suffer from debilitating chronic pain and manage without pain killers? Have you ever taken a highly addictive substance such as the pain killer that Rush Limbaugh was taking and then stopped taking it? If so, good for you. But all too many people who can eat whatever they want, who live painfree lives, and who can take addictive substances without developing a dependency on them (different people react differently to different substances -- see allergies for examples) seem quite willing to pass judgement on those who have a harder time than they do.
I could eat a box of cupcakes a day when I was growing up and not gain weight (I can still eat cupcakes and not gain weight). Friends I know cannot. Our metabolisms are different. I am one of the thinnest people in my group of friends but that is not because of willpower. It is because (A) my metabolism is slower and (B) I can simply stop eating meals as a way to diet (my hunger pangs are often not very strong).
Note that Rush defeated his weight problem. I'm sure he believed that he had a strong enough will to avoid addiction. And that may have been his problem. Taking your perspective, Rush probably believed that he'd never stoop so low as to engage in illegal activity to get a hold of drugs and would never risk his hearing and his career taking a dangerous substance in excess quantities. He was wrong, because it isn't just about willpower. Willpower can't change the chemistry of your brain but drugs and other substances can. It isn't just people of poor character, low willpower, or who are immature that can't handle addictive substances. They destroy good people, too.
a very disgruntled rush fan.
Stop expecting people to be perfect. They aren't.