Why I Believe Tony Bennett May Have Dementia

I'm sure you've heard by now of the passing of Whitney Houston. Her death is untimely but, in my opinion, not that surprising.

Whitney has long suffered and fought the demons of drug and alcohol abuse. Her condition is not so different from the string of recent celebrity deaths. Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and others have lost their battles in similar fashion.

All of these deaths are tragic, to be sure. They are not, however, justification for legalizing drugs as Tony Bennett would have us believe.

It was reported that he made the statement that drugs should be legalized because we've lost Whitney, Amy and Michael to drug overdoses. He even mentioned that Amersterdam has become a good place after legalizing drugs.

Poor Tony seems to have forgotten that Michael died from a lethal injection of the prescription drug Propofal that may have been given to him by a physician. He also forgets that there were a LOT of legally prescribed drugs in Jackson's residence as well. Amy Winehouse passed away from alcohol poisoning. Preliminary reports show that Whitney had prescription Xanax and other prescribed drugs in her room when she possibly slipped into unconsciousness and drowned in her tub.

None of these celebrities have died from street drugs or from illegal drugs. They all died from the misuse and abuse of legally prescribed drugs. Tony's assertion that legalizing drugs is, sadly, an indication that he fails to understand the difference between the two. Failing to understand this simple concept leads me to believe he's possibly suffering from dementia.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy in this is the fact that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people look to these celebrities as role models. They mourned the passing of Michael and Amy as if we'd lost Martin Luther King or Mother Teresa. I'm sure Whitney will be no less mourned. Sadly, I fear the lessons of Martin and Mother Teresa will be less remembered than the "contributions" these three made.

Certainly, it is sad and tragic that some people with incredible gifts in music, art, and other areas become so caught up in the fairy tale lives they live that the only way to keep the illusion alive is through medication. If you know fairy tales, there's always a lesson to be learned and there's always some tragedy. Amy, Michael and now, Whitney have found that out the hard way.

Tony Bennett needs to rethink the validity of his statement. Legalizing drugs would have probably resulted in a much faster death for these three and many others. His comment is irresponsible to say the least.

I truly hope that Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston have finally eluded the demons that tormented them here on earth. I hope they are at peace and singing with angels. I also hope Tony Bennett shuts his mouth.