At least 50 percent of the tweets on my timeline today have been about Corey Haim's death. Most have used words/phrases like "shocked" or "can't believe" or "tragedy".
REALLY?
To be honest, I'm actually surprised he lived as long as he did.
It's not speaking ill of the dead to say that Corey Haim was a drug addict. This is precisely why his death should not be "shocking" or "unbelievable" to anyone. The man has been drinking or snorting something illegal and/or intoxicating for over half his life.
My point? Dying of an overdose was the natural, logical consequence of the path Corey Haim chose for himself and continued to choose for himself despite ample means, support, motive, and opportunity to change his behavior. Because that's what drug addicts do.
It's not "tragic" that Corey Haim died. It's tragic when people die of cancer or AIDS. It's tragic when entire groups of people are wiped out by disease or famine. Tragic is a child murdered by her parents. Tragic is a college student who makes the choice to stay sober at a party so his friends can get home safe and gets killed on the ride home by another teen who didn't make the same choice. Corey Haim's death was ultimately a choice.
Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is one of very few diseases that is completely and entirely preventable no matter where you live, what your lifestyle is, or how much money you have. Addiction isn't something that you just wake up with one day due to some unknown cause. You're not born addicted. You make a choice to put into your body a mood-altering substance either knowing the potential consequences or being too stupid to ask what they might be. As the consequence of that choice, whether you make it once, or repeatedly over the course of twenty plus years, you take a risk of becoming addicted, if you live long enough for that to happen.
Corey Haim went to rehab 15 times that were reported. He rejected an opportunity to work with Dr. Drew Pinsky either on or off Celebrity Rehab. Corey Haim made a choice. It was a stupid choice, but it wasn't tragic.
Very well said. I agree 100%. He has had this addiction longer than he ever was a "star".
ReplyDeleteWhat's tragic is that he refused all the help he'd been offered over the years. It's tragic that he didn't learn any lessons from all the other young people in Hollywood who've gone down the same destructive spiral before him.
ReplyDeleteI think that Corey Haim's LIFE was tragic, not his death.
ReplyDeleteWe're all blessed with talents or skills or intelligence or beauty with which we can use to make our lives great or we can waste the opportunities.
Corey was given amazing gifts, amazing looks, he harnessed his skills and he pissed it all away.
Having a great life laid out for you and pissing it away is tragic.
His death, is *not*.