Thursday, April 21, 2016

Every excuse in the book.

Just today I couldn't help but respond to this absurd internet factoid/meme/intellectually challenged graphic.


It is, of course, one of a zillion liberal dummy memes that pollute my feed - but again, as I know a lot about this particular issue, I couldn't help but chime in -

"It's on the internet so it must be true.  Or you could actually research this issue.  The reason most people pass this test is because they know it's a requirement to receive aid and they are given the date of testing well in advance.  Only the truly stupid and severely addicted continue to smoke weed in the week leading up to the test."

My response was met with the usual litany of anger, listing every issue under the sun as to why drug testing welfare recipients as a reqiurement for getting free shit is a bad thing.   The corporations.  Wall Street.  Dick hole Republicans.  And on and on and on.

This was my response, which I didn't post - because arguing with a liberal is kind of like pissing into the wind.  Okay, it's a lot like it.   Futile and pointless and unlikely to have any different result no matter how often we do it.

I do like my response a lot though. 


"If I may share my view from my life experience - I cannot believe that policies like this don't give pause to people who abuse the system.

I have several drug abusers in my family, two of which live in Florida.  From 2011 through 2013 I imagine they probably managed to lay off the meth and emerge from a haze of weed long enough to get tested to get their state aid.  Now that the policy has been discontinued by an unelected Federal judge, they are likely fucked up 100% of the time rather than 90%.  Not much of a difference I will concede, but it does give me some solace that they were, however briefly, held accountable for their choices.

In the mean time I manage to bust my ass, stay sober and continue to fund people who are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves but choose to blow dope instead.

For those that are capable of helping themselves, which is in my opinion in this country the majority of people on public assistance, our indifference to their behavior and choices is not compassion, nor is it in the end helpful to these people who suffer from addiction and as a consequence - mental illness.

We will not affect change by enabling drug addicts, we will not actually help them by pretending that what they do to themselves is not harmful or damaging and has nothing to do with their need for public assistance.

Drug testing as a requirement for welfare may not have been a perfect idea and it may in the end be unworkable - but I submit that the intention and philosophy behind the idea is absolutely correct.  I believe that only by holding people accountable - i.e., treating people with dignity and respect, not with condescension and false pity, can we truly start to break down barriers with drug addicts and help unshackle them from the bonds of their personal hell.

I don't know any of you but I do know Mike.  As you are all friends with him I in turn respect your views and am open to hearing your thoughts on this topic.  But understand it is very hard for me sometimes to hear things that I know would never ever come from someone who has been close to an addict in their life.  I could be wrong of course, as I said I don't know you or the battles you face.  But if you've had addiction in your life it would take an incredible feat of mental gymnastics to point the finger of blame at the government instead of your addicted loved one, unless of course you have been or are an addict yourself.

All of the addicts I have ever known always have every excuse in the book for their behavior, including I'm sure corporations, fiscal policies, political corruption, Wall Street and on an on and on.  Basically everything including the kitchen sink.  Well I can tell you, as someone who escaped from a family that has addicts in it, it's all bullshit.  An addict will make up every excuse under the sun to justify his or her behavior, and we do nothing but enable them by playing along with their delusions and vilifying any attempt to hold them accountable.

Deep addicts don't care about any of these excuses, they simply want to know when the next check is coming so they can get their fix.  Helping them do this is about the worst thing we can do for them.  It is the antithesis of compassion.

Furthermore, sober people blaming drug addiction on 'the man' is downright delusional and so is condemning ideas and policies that attempt to hold drug users accountable.  I find it very hard to take this litany of tangentially related excuses, corrupt politicians, greedy CEO's, etc. etc., seriously.

Peace.