My former boss sent me this article with his comments. I tend to agree with his sentiments and would take it a step further by pointing out that the term tragedy is overused and inappropriate in this circumstance. An overdose accidental or otherwise is not what the ancient Greeks had in mind when they defined the term and art form. Mom-shares-pic-of-dying-son-as-a-plea
There are those who would say I’m an asshole, but I think they are taking the easy road of over-generalization. I don’t believe I go out of my way to fuck with people – at least not anymore – and when I did, it was targeting a very specific group of people who begged to be fucked with and my efforts were applauded by those whose opinions I valued. I don’t give a shit what anyone else thought.
So, when I write this, I am not uncaring or unfeeling about the pain of others, but if we continue to allow these fantasy narratives to pass for reality before long no one has a clue where reality stops and fantasy begins.
It is not an accident, nor is it unintentional when you stab a syringe full of narcotic – synthetic or naturally occurring – in a vein. Nor is it an accident or a mistake when you are a habitual user, and you are using a syringe which is plainly marked with increments, and you decide to buck the tiger and overfill the syringe with far more than you are used to ingesting. Or, you decide to play street corner bingo and buy your dope from the lowest priced dealer.
This is a tragedy, no doubt, for the family left behind to clean up the addict’s mess, pay the medical bills and the eventual funeral, and try to put their family back together again. The loss of the addict is debatable in the most generous of terms, but certainly not so much in our circles. BUT………….IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT!!!!!!! IT IS NOT A MISTAKE!!!!!!!! And regardless of how much better it makes this mother feel if her son is jabbing needles in his arm, he’s an addict, if it quacks like a duck, etc.
If you try hard enough, anything can be rationalized. Let me get this straight; Junior intended to inject Heroin, his drug of choice. Instead, he got fentanyl and vapor locked shortly afterward.
Mama says he wasn’t an addict. This is the first clue as to how he got to where he is. Yup and the liquor in the liquor cabinet evaporated, the pharmacy is a bunch of thieves giving her a short count month to month, and everybody smokes pot, it’s just a phase.
Mama says she’s proud of him. This is the second clue as to why he is an addict. Good conduct is rewarded, and bad conduct is punished.
Mama says it was an accident. This is the third clue; the only accident was Junior failed to calculate the correct dosage.
Mama is posing for pictures in the hospital while Junior is going through the dying quiver. That’s a family portrait that will look good on the mantle.
I am not dumping on Mama. Her junkie ass kid was an adult, and he made adult choices, in this instance bad ones. Parents could do everything right and still end up with a turd like this guy. What I see is an indication that junior learned about making bad choices at Mama’s knee. Her whole act sounds more like avoidance of responsibility and guilt to me.