SO MANY DEATHS…

The death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman by drug overdose on Sunday, February 2, was a shock to his many fans and movie enthusiasts. The amount of media coverage his passing has generated, while not surprising, is indicative of how, as a society, we place celebrities above the average Joe, who works hard and struggles to keep a roof over his own and his family’s heads. When was the last time you saw newspaper article after newspaper article about the many people working two or three jobs at minimum wage to stay alive? What about those trying desperately to find a job? 

Allow me to rephrase those questions slightly. When was the last time you saw extensive media coverage about a non-celebrity who overdosed on heroin? Lots of people have drug problems and many of them die. Why aren’t they all news worthy? While you are pondering that question, here's another. When did we start treating drug deaths with the same solemnity as death by cancer or other serious disease?

There is a recognized school of thought where people do equate drug addiction to disease. To me, that is insulting to the many patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation… neither of which provides a temporary high or relieves the mental, emotional and physical pain they are enduring. Drug addiction is a choice. No one chooses to get cancer. Cancer sufferers fight with every ounce of there being to get well so that they can live a full life. Drug users court death every time they stick a needle into their vein.

Do not misunderstand. I feel for those who are lacking in self-control… who are not strong enough to fight their demons. Being the mother of a rape survivor, I do know the torment that their families undergo, worrying from day to day whether a son/daughter/relative will see the morning light, but that empathy for the addict and his/her family does not elevate a drug user to the same level as a cancer survivor. They should not be eulogized as heroes.

Should we recognize the talents of people like Mr. Hoffman? Yes, we should always give credit where credit is due; but we should not honor them for their failures, especially when those failures were self-inflicted.

I’m not an expert, but I would guess that those who take drugs do so because something is lacking within them. Self-esteem comes to mind. I know nothing about Philip Seymour Hoffman but, I impression is that despite his many successes, he saw himself as a short, fat, not overly attractive man competing with the likes of Tom Cruise and George Clooney. There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t feel inadequate in said company.

We all suffer from doubt occasionally, but most people work through those doubts in more sensible ways and, if they don’t completely overcome their feelings of inferiority, they try not to obsess about them. The majority of people don’t shoot heroin into our veins like it is Vitamin B12.

There is no doubt that the entertainment industry has lost a great talent, but let’s keep Mr. Hoffman’s death in perspective. He chose to ride the see saw between health and addiction. He is not a role model for anyone… certainly not children who think a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the epitome of success rather than striving to walk in the footsteps of those hard working honest Joe’s among us.

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, Kenneth Turan wrote, “With the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, we’ve lost a true sage, a seeker of truth in performance. The wisdom and solace he might have brought us, we will never know.”

I disagree. In death, Mr. Hoffman has brought us eternal wisdom. His final performance was, indeed, his greatest as it proves what has been portrayed many times… “Drugs kill.”