David Way ([email protected])
Sun, 06 Dec 1998 01:26:14 PST
Since some of my comments played a starring role in a previous post,
I'll clarify what I said yesterday (and it is very obvious that I think
about what I'm saying, thank you very much).
I would never give carte blanche to any group I liked as much as U2.
The reason I like this group is that they back up privately what they
sing about openly: the struggle of maitaining spirituality in a
"fucked-up world" (to quote Bono); the supporting of charitable
organizations such as Greenpeace, WarChild, and Amnesty International;
compassion and understanding to those who are lost, etc. They are as we
say in Latin a "Rara Avis", a "rare bird". To use another modern
cliche', "If you're gonna to talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk."
The main reason that my post from yesterday took the tenor that it
did is that there is a pervasive ignorance/lack of forgiveness on this
list for those who use or have used drugs. So, to further get my point
across, I'll use my own story.
In April, I checked myself into a hospital because I was clearly
suffering from depression. I won't go into that story here. What I will
tell you is that I got to meet a LOT of addicts in the hospital. People,
these lost souls are just that: lost souls. Anyone who just
automatically lumps these people into a group of unsavable recidivists
and criminals not worthy of sympathy and compassion is an uninformed
asshole. The stories I heard from these people would make anyone weep.
No, they're not weak people; they are people desperate for relief who
made bad choices for their source of relief.
Anyway, all of the pretentious and sanctimonious posts which implied
or directly said that anyone who uses or has used drugs is an
irretrievable loser pissed me off. That opinion is dangerously wrong.
One of the reasons I like U2 is that their music is uplifting; in
fact, when I checked out of the hospital, "Achtung Baby" was on my
cassette player. When "One" came on, I cried. I was suffering with this
clinical depression and I never felt as unified with humanity as when I
was hearing this song. I felt as one with U2, my friends, my family,
anyone mentally ill, anyone addicted to drugs - everyone.
I hate it when musicians feel the need to use drugs; but you know
what, they are walking around on this planet as human being just like we
are. Same pleasures, same pains, same struggles, same successes. I'm not
going to hold a stupid grudge against them whenever they feel the need
to explore altered states, chemical or otherwise, because I wouldn't
hold that sort of grudge towards anyone. I haven't lived their lives.
U2 in their anti-drug songs clearly use compassion as their guiding
light, not condemnation. Anyone who claims that any act - not just U2 -
is less worthy of admiration because they have human foibles, I feel
sorry for you. Lack of forgiveness, acceptance, and understanding is
EXACTLY what U2 is against.
So, to recap: I don't think they do drugs. (I think they want to
help, in some small way, those who are.) I don't think they will do
drugs. I also don't think they would be proud of those who universally
condemn anyone - in or out of the music industry - who has tried them
without finding out their stories first.
I would recommend that, as an eye-opening experience, some of you go
to such a hospital and find out their stories. You'll find that these
people are very similar to you. That's what I learned.
David Way
"We're one, but we're not the same. We get to carry each other..."
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sun Dec 06 1998 - 01:27:58 PST