Crystal Meth Makes a Hero

The above story is from the New York Times (non-select.) I'm sure some of you remember the woman who was held hostage a few months back in her home, only to calm her captor, famously by reading him "The Purpose-Driven Life" and treating him like a human being and appealing to the better nature of mankind. And all that jazz.

At the time, I viewed it as the rare story-of-the-day that was actually sort of heartening. Guy goes nuts, woman talks him down, he turns himself in.

Guess what? She gave him some of her Crystal Meth, and addiction she was trying to kick. She says she hasn't touched it since the episode. Is it easier to really enjoy some nice lady reading you some spiritually dogmatic crapola after she gives you some nice, soothing drugs? Quite likely.

I mean, she's brave and all. But it looks very much like God needed the help of "ice" to get his message across with these people. Not that there's no precendent for this type of thing. Alcohol gets people laid and cigarettes give you extra breaks at work. Why shouldn't Crystal get you out of a hostage crisis, and make you a national hero? It's a far more powerful drug.