12 Lone Tree Voice
LOCAL
December 15, 2016D
VOICES
Be a blessing to someone who is caught in the painful world of addiction WINNING WORDS
Michael Norton
I
t seems like almost every day we hear of another family member, friend or someone close to us who has fallen victim to the disease of addiction. And in some cases, it is a friend of a friend or stories of people we really don’t even know at all, and yet our hearts are broken for them too. We are all familiar with the many faces of addiction such as drugs, alcohol, food, pornography, gambling and others, but somehow the faces of the addicted seem to get lost, painted with the same brush, or muddled and lumped together into one large stereotyped grouping. They have become nameless faces who are, or were, just too weak to fight their urges and addictions.
Maybe anger, frustration, embarrassment are a few of the feelings that fuel our disposition and outlook, and I am sure you can think of a few other feelings as well such as resentment, sorrow and regret because the harm or damage we personally incurred or because we believe we may have been able to do something to prevent the addiction from happening. However, if it’s OK, I would like to share a different perspective about the feelings that may arise when we look into, or remember the faces of the addicted. Feelings of love, kindness, forgiveness, beautiful memories and hope. Recently I stared into the eyes of a very close friend who shared that they had a child
who was in the throes of a drug addiction. His eyes filled with tears, his hands holding onto anger and resentment, and his heart was breaking. You see, it’s not just the faces of addiction or the faces of the addicted, it is also the faces of the family and friends who must endure the addiction and find a way to love the addicted while protecting their own heart and peace of mind. It is truly such a difficult situation. Some of you may be saying to yourself that it is not so difficult and that these were personal choices, and if they can choose their addiction they should be able to choose to SEE NORTON, P13
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
But “Twelve Days” requires cumulative memorization. The song was first published in England in 1780, but it had been around for a while in France. I don’t know how that works, but I am glad they didn’t try to teach me how to sing it in French. Whenever “Dominique” comes on the radio, I turn it off. I like to sing along with the hit parade, and that one throws me for a boucle. Humorists have fiddled with “The Twelve Days of Christmas” lyrics for longer than I can remember.
Vouchers are a scam Re: Last week’s letter, “Choice is a good thing for students” My truck is 14 years old and I would like to buy a new one, but the truck I would really like to have is expensive. I would like to ask the taxpayers of Douglas County and Colorado to give me $5,000 a year for the next four years so I can have the truck I really want but without having to put such a big dent in my budget. But you say it is ridiculous for my fellow taxpayers to subsidize my private purchase? Absolutely. So why do those who want to send their children to expensive private schools think it is OK to get taxpayer money to help pay for their private purchase of schooling? School choice is a fine thing and Douglas County schools offer a top-notch education with plenty of choices for schools and programs. I am willing to pay taxes to support public schools because I want to live in a society with people who are educated and can think critically. If you think it important that your child go to a private school, you have my blessing — but you don’t get my money. If you want private school for your children, then you pay for it. Taking money out of my pocket and giving it to someone else to pay for the luxury of private schooling reeks of a liberal scheme for the redistribution of wealth. I am totally confused why any true conservative would support an Obama-esque socialist welfare scheme such as school vouchers. What is next? Is the school board going to give out free iPads like Obama gave out free cell phones? I call upon all true conservatives in Douglas County to contact the school board and tell them to stop with the liberal school voucher nonsense and focus on making Douglas County schools the best they can be. Robert White Highlands Ranch
SEE SMITH, P13
SEE LETTERS, P13
There are dozens of ways of spinning ‘Twelve Days’ QUIET DESPERATION
Craig Marshall Smith
T
welve days of Christmas used to be plenty. Now it’s more like 60 days of Christmas, plus a week afterward to return things and take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime bargains. The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” was kind of fun when I was a kid. It required memorization. I realize that all songs require a form of memorization, otherwise you’d be singing, “Deck the halls with Boston Charlie,” instead of “Deck the halls with boughs of holly.” (Thank you, Walt Kelly.)
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Lone Tree Voice A legal newspaper of general circulation in Lone Tree, Colorado, the Voice is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129