Recognizing Addiction as a Disease… Unless You Are a Conservative

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) is a mover and a shaker when it comes to addiction and substance abuse in America. He has pushed hard for recovery programs aimed at providing prevention and treatment services for the nationwide methamphetamine scourge and is a co-sponsor of S. 1011: Recognizing Addiction as a Disease Act of 2007. I look for leaders like this, regardless of their political affiliation, but Senator Harkin no longer resides on my list of leaders in the field. Because Tom Harkin is also a hypocrite, all the things he has done right he threw away when he attacked Rush Limbaugh for having an addiction… a disease.

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Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, then followed Reid, saying: "Maybe he was just high on his drugs. I don't know." In 2003, Limbaugh admitted a dependency on pain medication, but three years later reached a plea deal that cleared him of prescription shopping for Oxycontin.~Foxnews.com

I know that politicians of all stripes have to play their little games; they are always trying to knock the other side down a notch. But it especially hurts when they toss aside all decency and negate the positive things they have done by such a senseless attack for political gain.

Great strides have been made over the course of the last two decades in reducing the shame and stigma society often associates with addiction. This has led to more people seeking help for their problems, instead of suffering in silence and just accepting the myriad of related consequences including crime, broken families, and death. Harkin’s Senate floor public scorn of Limbaugh because he is a recovering addict does no favors to those of us who are advocates for recovery and treatment.

What’s next, well in reality probably nothing else on the subject, however the damage is already done. The Senator obviously believes addiction is a disease, but I doubt his next acts will be to attack and smear others he disagrees with because they are diabetic or have cancer. Neither do I expect him to call out any of several legislators from both Houses about alcoholism or drug abuse, or ask them to pee in a cup before they are allowed to speak. But this is just what he alluded to when he stated that maybe Mr. Limbaugh “should let us know when he is using”.

I think Senator Harkin understands the strength one must have in recovery, that this is a positive attribute to have not a negative. It is just unfortunate he puts his politics ahead of his beliefs.

Senator Harkin may be a mover and a shaker when it comes to addiction and substance abuse in America, but with his method of movement being one step forward and two steps back; we are better off without his help. __________________________________________________________