AARC & THE FIFTH ESTATE, WE GRADS STAND BY AARC AND DR. VAUSE!!!!
I've seen a number of people expressing their willingness to "die on the hill" for AARC. This is great, and much appreciated I'm sure. There are a few things you should remember while you're "going to war" for the good guys:
-Rambling off 110% undying support for ANYthing is not a good idea. It makes you look very stupid and it makes you an easy target for anyone who believes AARC is a cult. You can do more harm than good.
-You're being observed by people with ZERO familiarity with the program, people who don't know anything about addiction, people who believe addiction doesn't exist and people who believe in harm reduction. Therefore, if you aren't qualified to speak on a subject, don't. If you do not possess the proper information to conclude a debate in a successful fashion, do not get into the debate.
-Just because you're passionate and emotional, doesn't mean you need to carry the burden of defending something in an emotional manner. This never and will never work. Clear and concise thinking will always reward a person if their beliefs and values are being held to ridicule.
-AARC is not perfect, they know that and have made revisions to the program that reflect their willingness to change and/or evolve.
^This means that you're probably the only one saying that the organization can do no wrong. If you claim to be representing the program, you've just made a good lot of people look like a bunch of over-emotional occult idiots who lack intellect and the proper tact to address questions coming from the general public.
Basically, if you cannot back up your statements with fact and examples, I might suggest sitting out of any debates regarding AARC altogether. You may just end up giving more ammunition to the camp who wants AARC to close.
I've yet to see any of those people make a valid arguement when they've been forced to reconcile with someone who knows the program inside and out.. they usually resort to threats, ad-hominem attacks and lies.
Let them lie. Each and every one of you who's lives have changed for the better as a result of AARC is it's success story and there is no denying it.
There are more of us that support AARC than not. Lets think a little bit before we declare our undying love in an open forum.
-Josh