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 - --- MAP posted-by: GD