THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 19, 1996 TAG: 9601190003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
I respond to Worth Banner's ``Garcia ruined lives? Prove it'' (letter, Jan. 7) regarding Hope Mihalap's widely shared opinion of Jerry Garcia's overdone publicity:
1. Why does it matter if Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, Mailer, Garcia and the Grateful Dead were known to show their flaws to the public? Why should Garcia and his group's alleged support of unnamed organizations and projects influence the public's opinion of them? I thought Mr. Banner wanted us to judge them primarily by their work.
2. I'd like to hazard a guess that Ms. Mihalap and millions of other intelligent, caring people in the civilized world have done exactly what Mr. Banner suggests be done. We have indeed judged Garcia and the Grateful Dead by their work. We have, with our own eyes and ears, witnessed this group publicly, deliberately, brazenly and gleefully spread the message: ``If it feels good, do it. Tune in. Turn on. Drop out.''
For many years, carefully researched, factually documented reports, in national and international media, have chronicled the tragedies of wasted lives among the Deadheads. Mr. Banner either missed those testimonies or failed to take them to heart.
Many institutions (including several cemeteries) now must house the broken, sad, gullible people who made the Dead their reason for ``living.''
Some families have been able to rescue loved ones from the Deadhead trail to nowhere and helped in their rehabilitation. Others, despite cruelly devastating efforts, haven't been so fortunate.
3. I'd like to see some evidence that Garcia and the Grateful Dead never advocated drug usage. One would have to be ridiculously naive to believe that. They set the example. They certainly were aware of the bizarre reactions of the Deadheads. They encouraged those people, wooded them, lauded them and kept on feeding their addictions to the Dead. They should, therefore, be held accountable for the tragedies which befell many of their misguided but adoring followers. Since that is not possible, let us at least not reward them with endless public praise.
4. I'd also like to see some proof that these cult ``heroes'' ever publicly urged those who gave up their lives and families to follow the Dead to stop idolizing them and instead go home and get a real life.
5. Whether Mrs. Mihalap meant to say so or not, I think that perhaps her message was: ``Let's stop overpublicizing people who are, at least, obviously not good examples to vulnerable `groupies,'' and who have convinced many of us that it may be very dangerous to emulate them.''
Anyway, if that isn't her message, it is surely mine.
EDITH N. STRAW
Norfolk, Jan. 8, 1996
I respond to Worth Banner's ``Garcia ruined lives? Prove it'' (letter, Jan. 7) regarding Hope Mihalap's widely shared opinion of Jerry Garcia's overdone publicity:
1. Why does it matter if Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, Mailer, Garcia and the Grateful Dead were known to show their flaws to the public? Why should Garcia and his group's alleged support of unnamed organizations and projects influence the public's opinion of them? I thought Mr. Banner wanted us to judge them primarily by their work.
2. I'd like to hazard a guess that Ms. Mihalap and millions of other intelligent, caring people in the civilized world have done exactly what Mr. Banner suggests be done. We have indeed judged Garcia and the Grateful Dead by their work. We have, with our own eyes and ears, witnessed this group publicly, deliberately, brazenly and gleefully spread the message: ``If it feels good, do it. Tune in. Turn on. Drop out.''
For many years, carefully researched, factually documented reports, in national and international media, have chronicled the tragedies of wasted lives among the Deadheads. Mr. Banner either missed those testimonies or failed to take them to heart.
Many institutions (including several cemeteries) now must house the broken, sad, gullible people who made the Dead their reason for ``living.''
Some families have been able to rescue loved ones from the Deadhead trail to nowhere and helped in their rehabilitation. Others, despite cruelly devastating efforts, haven't been so fortunate.
3. I'd like to see some evidence that Garcia and the Grateful Dead never advocated drug usage. One would have to be ridiculously naive to believe that. They set the example. They certainly were aware of the bizarre reactions of the Deadheads. They encouraged those people, wooded them, lauded them and kept on feeding their addictions to the Dead. They should, therefore, be held accountable for the tragedies which befell many of their misguided but adoring followers. Since that is not possible, let us at least not reward them with endless public praise.
4. I'd also like to see some proof that these cult ``heroes'' ever publicly urged those who gave up their lives and families to follow the Dead to stop idolizing them and instead go home and get a real life.
5. Whether Mrs. Mihalap meant to say so or not, I think that perhaps her message was: ``Let's stop overpublicizing people who are, at least, obviously not good examples to vulnerable `groupies,'' and who have convinced many of us that it may be very dangerous to emulate them.''
Anyway, if that isn't her message, it is surely mine.
EDITH N. STRAW
Norfolk, Jan. 8, 1996 by CNB