Pubdate: Sat, 18 Oct 2003
Source: Huntsville Times (AL)
Copyright: 2003 The Huntsville Times
Contact:  http://www.htimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/730
Author: Jarrod Ennis Patterson

THEIR OWN MEDICINE

For the last few months, we have been witnessing the fall of several of our 
society's great moralists. First it was Bill Bennett, who suffers from a 
gambling addiction.

His justification? Basically, he uses his own money and he can afford to do 
so. What happened to all of the virtues that he espoused?

Then Rush Limbaugh has been in the news because of his addiction to pain 
medication. As a society, we should not relish in the suffering or 
embarrassment of others. But isn't Limbaugh the same guy that has had 
something controversial to say about others in his same position? He 
basically has broken and has been breaking the law in order to feed his habit.

It is interesting to see how some people have tried to justify his 
situation, mainly because of who he is. Some have basically been saying 
that Limbaugh's addiction to pain medication is somehow different from 
someone else's addiction to crack or cocaine.

Is the difference because one happens to be a popular, nationally known 
multimillionaire and the other a local addict? Aren't they both drug addicts?

Maybe we - moralists included - need to make sure the logs are out of our 
own eyes before we begin eyeing the twigs in the eyes of others. These 
moralists are getting a taste of their own medicine.

Jarrod Ennis Patterson,

Huntsville
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