After having faced addiction himself, Michael Botticelli demonstrates that addiction should be considered a disease. People can get mentally and physically sick as a result of addiction and deserve to receive the treatment and support that they need. He claims that society has already pushed forward significantly, especially with LGBT rights, yet “I'm more comfortable coming out as a gay man than I am as a person with a history of addiction.” (5:51) Botticelli uses facts to compare the treatment of people with addiction versus people with other diseases. He says that people are treated like they are below others when they suffer from addiction. This makes it difficult for them to want to ask for help and even harder for them to receive it. It becomes a problem in America as so many people die every year because of addiction. “Today in the United States, only one in nine people get care and treatment for their disorder.” (6:07)
In America, everybody should be treated equally and have the right to a better life. When large masses of people are facing this problem and denied the ability to get help, they are unable to live out their “American Dream.” Many face death and incarceration just because they have a disease. The law force should not hold this against them when “decades of scientific research has shown that this is a medical issue -- that this is a chronic medical condition that people inherit and that people develop.” (7:23) We cannot ignore the problems in our society and expect them to improve, which is often how addiction is handled. Botticelli has an inspiring cause and encourages people to give compassion and assistance to those who may suffer with addiction. He primarily uses ethos and logos in his talk to get his point across. He gives a myriad of evidence and proves that he is a credible source when he tells the story about his own personal addiction, and when he mentions how he is working with the Obama administration to help those with addiction. I enjoyed Botticelli’s talk because he finds a convincing way to inform people about addiction. It can be debilitating. I have known many people that have died as a result of addiction and it’s important that this problem is addressed. Everyone deserves a decent shot at life and addiction can take that away from them. |