CONSERVATIVES MAKING EXCUSES

It's been interesting to hear conservatives making excuses for Rush
Limbaugh and his admitted drug addiction. His staunchest friends and
supporters - including radio and TV commentator Sean Hannity - have
said that Rush's addiction is understandable (i.e., therefore
excusable) in light of his excruciating and chronic back pain. Never
mind that millions of people living with debilitating pain from
cancer, arthritis and any number of other ailments do not go
underground to buy pain pills from illegal sources, as news reports
suggest he did. They live with the pain and manage it the best they
can, within legal boundaries in obtaining medication. They would not
go underground to obtain hard, addictive narcotics even if they had
all the millions Rush had.

I would not wish chronic pain on anybody, including Mr. Limbaugh, but
neither would I, if I were a conservative, try to excuse the behavior
of someone who has railed against drug users while abusing illegally
obtained narcotics. Besides, all addicts - whether the drug of choice
is alcohol or cocaine or heroin or pills - get hooked trying to
medicate some kind of chronic pain, be it emotional, psychological or
physical. Addiction is addiction.

Paul McKay, The Colony