Judson Cox, October 13, 2003

Upon release of last week’s column, I was flooded with emails from angry liberals. I did my best to read and respond to each, but by the second day it proved impossible. This is the response I sent to the first 200 or so:

I will not condemn Rush for getting hooked on prescription pain medication. He has been through very painful procedures; dependency happens easily with such medications. However, the allegations have not been proven and I will assume his innocence concerning the illegal drug buying. A guy who makes $50 million does not send his maid out to score pain killers from drug dealers. Anyone with his money can shop around for a doctor that will sell prescriptions. I get spam every day from internet pharmacies offering to have their doctors prescribe any narcotic pain medication I may want. So, why would he buy from sources where purity is suspect? It just doesn't make sense. But, we will see. All humans are possessed of a fallen nature and are fallible.

Last Friday, Rush admitted an addiction to prescription pain medication. He explained the back injury and failed surgeries that led his doctor to prescribe them and how he developed a physical dependency. Rush was, in the words of Jeff Birnbaum (no conservative) "very hard on himself." He took responsibility, extolled those who suffer without succumbing to weakness and announced that he was entering a rehabilitation center. He admitted to human frailty, not to illegality. Moreover, he asked not for our sympathy but for our prayers.

Rush has my sympathy. When I was 18, I severely herniated two disks (the same injury Rush experienced). Words cannot describe the pain that coursed through my nerves, back, abdomen and legs. Every moment was saturated with all consuming, pain. I could not walk without canes. I could not sleep. The pain took my appetite, my happiness and my ability to concentrate. Other back problems prevented surgery. Medication was my only option. I progressed through ever stronger narcotic medication, but each was effective for only a few weeks. I eventually developed a toxic reaction to the drugs. I had no choice but to stop taking them. The pain increased. I did not sleep for ten days and nights; it was hell.

I never became addicted to pain medication, but I was physically dependent. Medical research shows, and I can attest, that persons suffering from chronic, debilitating pain experience no "high" from narcotic pain medication. The pain simply eases and the muscles stop spasming. You are able to think, take a normal breath, sleep and even work. Physical dependence is inevitable with long term use. Rush is experiencing a human tragedy that should illicit sympathy from anyone.

The emails contained no sympathy. They called him a hypocrite for criticizing drug users. They made no distinction between a dependence on medication prescribed for a debilitating medical condition, and one whose desire for intoxication leads him to smoke crack, ending up a danger to himself and others, and a burden on society. They claim Rush deserves to suffer because he attempts to live by moral standards and encourages virtue in others. The emails by these supposedly compassionate liberals were vile; they were hateful, vitriolic and obscene.

I should not be surprised by the nastiness of people whose response to the liberation of 27 million Iraqis is to compare President Bush to Hitler. They claim their joy is akin to the way conservatives felt about President Clinton. I supported Clinton’s impeachment for perjury and obstruction of justice, but I took no joy in it. I was saddened by the damage his actions caused to the office of the Presidency and the national discourse. I felt sorry for his daughter. I was angered when his defenders dismissed his crimes by smearing the women he victimized. I was never happy about it; it was a national tragedy! Moreover, I know of no conservative who was. If I did, I would not associate with him.

Taking joy in the sufferings of others is an evil associated with the likes of Saddam Hussein and Ivan The Terrible who were entertained by viewing torture. As a Christian, I try to love my enemy and to love my brother as myself. I often fail, but I take no joy in it. I am aware that many on the left eschew Christian values. They claim a personal morality based on benevolence, compassion and harmony. These virtues are incompatible with the hate expressed in all but three of the emails I received. This should encourage introspection for liberals. Will they degenerate into unreasoning malevolence? Would it not result in another deluge of vitriol, I would suggest they pray for Rush and for themselves - I do.

Judson Cox is a political columnist from the mountains of North Carolina. He is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most popular and influential voices of his generation. As a college student, and a young entrepreneur, he has a unique perspective on matters of politics, economics and culture.

Copyright © 2003 Judson Cox