If there’s confusion AND other-destructive behaviors, it’s usually not just dope
Amazing Antics: Stories of Alcoholism-Driven Behaviors
Story from “This is True”by Randy Cassingham, with his “tagline:â€
“CONTEMPT OF COURT: Devin K. Hoerauf, 19, was in court in Rockville, Md., to answer to multiple robbery charges. When he stood up from the defense table, something fell out of his pocket: a bag full of marijuana. His lawyer quickly jumped to his defense: ‘He is brain-damaged, your honor,’ she said. ‘I don’t mean he’s just a defendant who does dumb stuff. This is a boy with an IQ in triple digits. His brain is glued together with Silly Putty. He can’t think his way out of a paper bag, but he can do physics.’ The lawyer, Gwyn Hoerauf, apparently knows: she’s the defendant’s mother. The jury, who did not witness the drug incident, convicted the teen on four robbery counts. (Washington Post) …A high IQ, but can’t think his way out of a paper bag? Classic symptoms of long-term drug use.â€
Randy, again, has it right: mere “recreational”use of drugs, whether alcohol, dope or most others, doesn’t cause long-lasting brain damage. But what’s missing from the story is Hoerauf’s use of other drugs. Marijuana by itself is unlikely to result in overtly vile behaviors, including a prior conviction for assault. As usual in the case of drugs, I wouldn’t say “never,”but observation suggests that when such behaviors are evident, there are usually other drugs on board. It turns out that Hoerauf had tested positive for narcotics a few weeks before the trial.
The other interesting aspect to the story is the mother. She was blunt about her son’s condition”and he heard every word. Although she was trying to avoid having her son serve jail time, saying that jail was not the answer to her son’s problems, the implication that her son needs rehab is clear”and correct.
(Story and tagline from “This is True,”copyright 2007 by Randy Cassingham, used with permission.)
Visit www.thisistrue.com for free subscriptions