Very tasteless really

I didn’t mean to offend. I didn’t realise her close friends and family would be reading.

If you didn’t mean to offend why did you post it – are you a bit of an insensitive smartass!

bah-hahaha!

Conor, have you any understanding of addiction? Have you ever had a friend or family member struggle with it? Or studied it in-depth? “Junkies” are still people, people who often are victims of abuse and/or struggle with depression and other issues. I am not a naive liberal who thinks people aren’t responsible for their actions but they don’t deserve to be hated. That is no solution and I have had first hand experience of being mugged by two “junkies” in my life so far. Just because someone has an illness does not mean they have to be solely defined by it. She was a huge talent – that is what is being glorified. Do we have to define people by their failings or issues all the time? The war on drugs isn’t about hating addicts, I am nearly sure it is the high level dealers that exploit addicts, import weapons, increase crime, abuse the legal system and live a tax-free glamorous existence that are the problem!

Conor,Rachel is right. Her comments are both thoughtful and insightful. Conor life is not quite so well defined as we would like it to be especially around the issue of addiction

Fair enough Conor if you have had that much experience and you still feel that way, there is certainly nothing I can say to change your mind. Just to point out – I never said that they were not responsible for their actions and or defended their poor choices, but rather questioned do they deserve so much hatred and is that helpful? We all make mistakes, some more substantial than others, but does having no empathy help in any way? The problem isn’t getting any better so maybe it’s time to pick a different approach. Obviously my opinions are not all based solely on a brief mugging or two Conor!

Well said, Rachel.

This is a question more than anything but do some celebrities not have more responsibility than others to remove themselves from drugs. The moral bar is set higher because they and their image is a product that is sold to children? I say this in reply to Conor saying she shouldn’t be treated any differently. I think she should be treated differently – she should be treated even tougher than a drug addict on the street. A drug addict on the street can be raised into this problem and the path out is harder for them.