I was never a fan of moral theology. Bored me to death. And as a Five, I'd rather be Right than Good. Not to say I lack a sense of right and wrong, but I would never promote it as one of my strong points...or interests.
My conservative ranting on here comes not from moral outrage as much as from a desire for survival.
Anyway, a shrink whom I normally like to read because he is a guy, and a kind of a libertarian, and hence quite unusual among the female-dominated liberal-to-the-core mental health profession, posted a link to a friend who had "the most thoughtful" response to Whitney Houston's death. In a word, we should not judge, because anyone can be caught in addiction.
Yikes. How thoughtful.
Well, here's a thought. Congressman Wiener gets caught with his pants down on the net, engaging in very private vice of the most ordinary kind. His career and life are over, to the tune and drumbeat of universal condemnation, contempt and opprobrium. Ms. Houston, publicly and over years, engages in lavishly expensive self-destruction of the most egregiously lurid kind, --validating stereotypes not only of divas, but of Blacks--and when she dies, NJ's flags fly at half mast for her.
Am I missing something?
3 comments:
Just because a person validates steretypes doesn't mean their life isn't sad. Where would our main meaning system be if we couldn't revere religious fanatics who end in a collision with ecclesiastical or political authorities?
You're right, though, there isn't much thoughtfulness (you turn'd me on to thoughtfulness c.1978), but maybe you're missing prurient interest!
Concernfulness can provide a good conscience for discussing lurid details of a person's life. Self-destruction is more fascinating when the self-destroyer is beautiful and falls from a position of fame and five-octave talentedness.
The story line of a "trailer trash" white teenager who went from foster home directly to prostitution on order to get free crystal meth until she died wouldn't help narratologically contextualize the Grammy Awards.
My favourite headline -- and I read only the headlines on Google news about this death -- was »__ dedicates pre-Grammy Party to Whitney Houston.«
Concernfulness doesn't have to interfere with a good time, eh?
Speaking for moi, I should say that drug addiction strikes me not by a moral duty "not to judge" but by a sense of dread or horrify'd awe.
First of all, it isn't true that "anyone can be caught in addiction." These things are very variable, and maybe for some people so far no 'substance' has been develop'd that would addict them.
I suppose that whoever introduced Whitney Houston to drugs only enjoys drugs; maybe their recreational drug use promotes underachievement, neglect of ordinary familial and civic duties, etc. Some people don't even "like" heroin, or the synthetic opiates that are used to medicate severe pain e.g. after surgery.
But for some people a first use of cocaine addicts them. They feel "This is what I was made for" etc. They think "Where can I get more of this!" even before they start coming down off their first high.
For some people gambling is like this -- gambling is the addiction most likely to end in suicide. And for some people alcohol is the proverbial glass of wine over dinner with friends, whereas for other people it is a scary constant need; they can either do A.A. 24/7 or return to drinking.
Everyone's walking around in their own individual neuro-chemistry. Maybe one of the street drugs would totally "click" for me if I even once try'd it, and then my whole life would be all about that drug, or, at best, all about not doing that drug, trying more or less futilely to fill the void with "having a life" in terms of friendship with other addicts in recovery, community service, hobbies, one's personal relationship with one's higher power, etc etc.
I say, Never send to know for whose sad life New Jersey's flag is flying at half-mast. The luck of the draw is, it could be flying at half-mast for thine.
P.S. I save all my judgementalness for persons of my own race and class who use Jesus' kergyma to destroy only Christian religion and politics.
I fancy Jesus' "Judge not that ye be not judged" can't be used against a person on Judgement Day when they've been judgemental along that line of consideration.
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