Artists absent in war on drugs

At an editorial board meeting a few weeks ago, we were having one of our frequent discussions about the drug problem. I said something that either went over everyone's head or else was so stupid no one wanted to hurt my feelings by calling me on it.

You decide.

I said we can have all the intervention programs and police raids and newspaper articles we want, but we really need the help of the artistic community. People who are likely to turn to drugs are more responsive to what they hear in music and what works of fiction they see on their TV screen than they are to a bunch of middle-aged journalists chatting away.

When Hollywood joins the anti-drug fight in earnest, there will be progress, because Hollywood has the ear of potential junkies. I don't. The newspaper I work for doesn't.

But the arts community is a major consumer and promoter of illegal drugs. They're hip and funny. Pretending to be drunk or high is funny. Being an alcoholic or a junkie isn't. Hollywood gets Lindsay Lohan. We get Moneyton.

I got to thinking about that more today when I read one of many pieces about how Hollywood praises itself to standing up to the Republican Party, but it remains silent in dealing with the growing force of radical Islam, Islamofascists or whatever you call people who kill others in the name of their god.

Hollywood could do a lot of good, but it poses for the public and praises itself for posing.

Please, am I right, or am I being a fool again?