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