He calls himself a “recovering dirtbag.” There were many days, he said, when he would avoid the bathroom mirror so he would not have to face himself. He was in therapy with “Dr. Jack Daniels.” He smoked marijuana every day for about 15 years. He fired an underling for bringing him the wrong pen. And, according to a Salon.com report, he once called the wife of a radio rival to ridicule her — on the air — about her recent miscarriage.[emphasis added.]There's a dilemma here. Conservatives who fight hard to keep marijuana illegal and who love Glenn Beck have to confront their belief that marijuana has harmful long-term effects. And the legalize marijuana lefties have to reconsider their stand that grass is harmless.
But this case probably doesn't prove anything about marijuana. Growing up with a divorced alcoholic mom who has an abusive boyfriend probably had something to do with his distorted view of the world before he started inhaling.
Look, there are lots of people who have to overcome difficult childhoods and I'm rooting for them all to find ways to become happy, centered human beings. But I draw the line when people use their self-hate (“I hated people,” Beck wrote, waxing pop-psychological, “because I hated myself.”) to lash out against others and to lead others into hatred. I can't blame Beck for doing things that make him millions of dollars a year. Human beings tend to repeat behaviors that are rewarded.
My concerns are not even with troubled people like Beck who might see something of themselves in him and thus feel better about themselves because they see him on television making lots of money.
My concerns are with those people and organizations that reward this sort of behavior because they can make money off it. It's like the old freak shows at circuses.
Many are surprised to learn that 10% of chronic, long-term use of marijuana develop an addiction to marijuana. Let me stress that this is for chronic, long-term users. 15 years would qualify for chronic long-term use.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, there are many studies that show that chronic long-term use of marijuana damages the emotional regulation centers of the brain as well as the memory system of the brain.
There is plenty of scientific research supporting these findings. I am in no way one who believes that marijuana is of the devil. I believe it should be legalized and that the medicinal benefits of marijuana should be further studied and that marijuana should be widely available for medicinal use. I have no problem with the recreational use of marijuana.
Beck is nuts. His chronic substance use hasn't helped his mental health; he is an emotional vampire with little ability to regulate his emotions. He has a strong family history of mental illness and shows symptoms of mood disorders, addiction, narcissistic personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder. In short, the man is mentally ill, and is, IMO, untreatable. I feel bad for the man's kids.
Beck isn't just mentally ill. He is a brilliant sales person and has a gift for manipulating and abusing the emotions of others. He knows that his rhetoric is fueling hatred, and he likes it. He benefits from his manipulative actions.
If I may, I would like to recommend the article "White America Has Lost Its Mind"; http://www.villagevoice.com/content/printVersion/2130170/. Beck, Palin, Shlessinger, the Tea Party and many other crazy RWNJs are discussed.
It's the freak shows that buy the tickets. When I saw Ms. O'Donnel's as stating that she is NOT a witch, I gave up on my hope for civilization. While O'Donnel is more entertainer than politician, these people who want to run things are are really playing to the lowest denominator. They are taking over.
ReplyDeleteWhile every generation had it's people who did dumb things and challenged the mainstream (the 1930's with their "Bright Young People," the Beat's of the '50's, etc.) they always went back to being serious. My generation is not going serious. This is the rot we have feared that is taking over.