ericka:

let me explain my anger. it's not aimed at the people but at their behavior.

your response to my critique of your finished questionnaire is similar to many people's because there's a disconnect. the disconnect is that people believe their opinions and beliefs about addictions are inviolable, personal, and valid. they aren't because they lead to damaging and injurious behavior, even if they are passive. there are no passive sides in the addiction holocaust. acquiescence for whatever excuse is just as active as a lynching.

read: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/whatsup/

people are being severely injured by wrong addiction policies which include treatments, recoveries, and laws. i'm not angry at ignorant and fearful people who don't know better. i'm angry at people who: believe lies and won't revise them when the truth is made available to them, purposely mislead and lie as experts, obstruct the facts from being known, publish fraudulent literature and lies about addictions and addicts, believe their opinions are a valid basis for setting policies despite valid science either not existing to corroborate their opinions or where valid science contradicts their beliefs and opinions but they ignore it. refuse to learn the correct facts. As my subtitle to the book says, "Don't confuse me with the facts, I've already made up my mind." this is what i'm angry about.

And, i'm not for possibly correct policies in the absence of correct paradigmatic reasons for those policies. policies like that can just as easily be incorrect as correct and they come and go. the current anti-drug war people are making this mistake and by doing so are polarizing rather than enlightening. they are perpetuating the problem by ignoring the paradigm issue because polarized opinions keep things the same. see #4 at: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/articlesbyandforhypoicspage2/

a valid understanding of addictions is not only possible but will lead to effective and humane policies concerning addictions. this understanding already exists but is being censored. the current incorrect beliefs about addictions have never been proven true but people insist on believing them nonetheless and making policies based upon them. thus, opinions about addictions are quite important, and when wrong lead to monumental damage to addicts and their families. recognizing when one holds an incorrect opinion or belief is likewise immensely important and intellectual pride should not be allowed to get in the way of knowing this.

this was the point of the questionnaire - to allow people to acknowledge their ignorance and need to re-look at each belief one at a time and be ready to revise them all. if one isn't prepared to do that i will confront them harshly because as i say in my article, "you're not entitled to your opinion" when its hurting people out of ignorance and prejudice. read: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/entitledtoyouropinionnotanymore/

if you think people should be allowed to have the incorrect opinion on addictions and use it to hurt other people, well, then you will be confronted. i'm looking for people who are willing to recognize their misbeliefs, dump them, learn valid science and facts about addictions and to go out and fight the battle to end ignorant and biased opinions that are killing people. if you're one of them, join up. if not, get out of the way. there's no middle ground in a holocaust.

therefore its critical to know the difference between belief, opinion, and knowledge, and specifically which of your own beliefs and opinions are which. why? because know it or not, you're acting on them one way or another. so, please take all this personally, it is personal.