Rush to Judgment
Both sides have come out to play. On the same day I read about Rush Limbaugh interviewing Dick Cheney and on the next page was a piece about the stalled investigation into Rush’s drug use.
Rush’s few months at the posh detox center seems to have worked well for him and he’s back to his jolly, red-faced ranting self. I’m happy for him. Seriously, I’ve seen too many people who have had their lives messed up by their drug addictions. It’s not something you would wish on anyone.
Unfortunately, neither Rush or his listeners seem to have learned the lesson here. No, not “Just say no.” The real lesson.
Drug treatment works better then incarceration.
Sure, drugs can really mess up a kids life, but not nearly as bad as spending five years in jail can. No one in their right mind can claim that things would have worked out better for Rush if he had been sent to a state prison for five years under mandatory sentencing laws. The phrase “Squeal like a pig!” comes to mind.
Of course, reality can not penetrate the mindset of a fanatic — even when it is based on direct experience. What are the odds that Rush and his listeners will learn from his first-hand experience and begin advocating treatment programs as a less expensive and more effective alternative to incarceration?
Nah! Rush and his listeners will undoubtedly continue to demonize drug users and insist on stiffer and stuffer penalties for those caught with illegal drugs, and probably never even be aware of the contradiction.