tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003448669710371317.post7786989967517103045..comments2023-01-27T01:33:07.696-05:00Comments on Master Of My Public Domain: Memories Of Rocky Jones, Space RangerMichael Costonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07982161449334601397noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003448669710371317.post-45931159070945081502012-08-24T19:51:21.162-04:002012-08-24T19:51:21.162-04:00Good comments on Scotty Beckett. He was such a be...Good comments on Scotty Beckett. He was such a beautiful, charming, child, and it is beyond tragic that his life beyond his childhood was so turbulent and ended so soon. There were many others whose lives took similar, tragic, turns, after they were no longer cute children. Scotty's colleague in the Our Gang shorts, Matthew "Stymie" Beard became a heroin addict while still in his teens. He spent much of his time in and out of jail, but at least had a few more good years, before dying at age 56.<br /><br />Another sad story of a child star who met a tragic end was Bobby Driscoll, who also spent time incarcerated and died due to drug addiction, at age 31.<br /><br />Many such sad cases, of former child stars as well as millions of others, could be prevented by acceptance of drug addiction as a medical illness requiring treatment. Drug addicts are not just people who don't have the self control to refrain from taking another dose of an addictive substance. They are people whose brains have been altered by the effects of the drugs who face tremendous pain, if they don't get a fix. Many have become addicted while under a doctor's care. Others have become addicted through making a poor choice to use an illegal substance recreationally, not realizing, or refusing to believe, the extend of the danger. Alcoholism is also an addiction that we are at least starting to accept as a medical condition.<br /><br />We do not throw people who chose to smoke cigarettes and ended up with lung cancer into prison, and we shouldn't throw drug addicts into prison, either. Prison should be for the drug dealers, both those on the street and those with an MD. Scotty Beckett was born a year after my father was. My father still works out three times a week and Scotty should still be alive, too, or at least have passed away recently. We can't do anything about Scotty, now, but we could do something about many others who are currently struggling with addiction.<br /><br />I have gotten a bit carried away with my comments, here. As the mother of a young man only 26 years old, who passed away of an overdose of methadone, I have a special interest in the topic. I care about every single young person whose life is ruined due to substance abuse. noelanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06459339092491148181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003448669710371317.post-5595954488751654522010-11-07T02:08:29.146-05:002010-11-07T02:08:29.146-05:00Do not delete this weblog. It may only occur every...Do not delete this weblog. It may only occur every couple of years, but someone will stumble across a post like this one and find something valuable.Candidusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003448669710371317.post-15829497662805152562008-11-17T01:37:00.000-05:002008-11-17T01:37:00.000-05:00Great research!Great research!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com