Ben spurgin is dead, as of October 13, 2009, because of a heroin overdose. For those who did not know, Ben was a well-known flash artist who also was part of a rock band. His movies inspired me to believe I could be creative, and was one of the things which helped me write. He was age 31, and left behind a mother, and possibly other family members.

stupid drugs and people's inability to be smart or have common sense

Jeez. This is why I hate drugs of ANY kind.

ah, but my philosophical question of the day, is it the drugs, or the people who use them?

Hm, touche. (Or however you spell that.)

touché

I choose not to judge him for it, as since I have no idea what was going on in his life, it would be judging without information.

and what is execusable for overdosing on heroine, or taking it in the first place?

I didn't say it was inexcusable. I said it might be understandable. I don't judge people for actions like this, as i have my own skeletons in my closet. All of us have done bad things, and if someone tells me otherwise, they have either just been born within the month, or they are lying. While it is a depressing thought, I don't believe anyone can claim to be a truly good person, or to be entirely evil. We are all a mix, and those that claim to be good or we think of as good are only slightly better than those we think of as evil. We speak of addicts as horrible people who don't realize who they hurt. The bottom lines is that only those with very strong wills are able to beat the addiction, and for all the talk about changing ourselves, only a few have the strength. I am not especially strong willed, so I probably would not beat an addiction, and I recognize there are others who also could not. I also could not guarantee that I could not be coerced( though people have tried and failed), so I do not judge those who have.

sounds very Christian in principle, but I'm talking about starting the drug. not trying to beat the addiction, it's not like he didn't know what would happen. I understand we all have our skeletons, just some are quite avoidable with a bit of common sense

well, among other things, it depends on what neighbourhood you grow up in, or who coerces you. Most say that they could resist coercion,but a close friend can coerce someone easily. In some places, it's rather forced, and some of my fathers friends have even mentioned that in their neighborhoods doing drugs is expected. I am fairly sure his parents would not have approved, but as far as friends go I have no idea.