by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
When you’re thinking about a relaxing Sunday on the National Mall, talking about drugs, alcohol, and addiction may not spring to mind as the type of topics you would think to be discussing, but that was the case this past weekend as thousands gathered at the base of the Washington Monument for the Unite to Face Addiction Rally. The stigma of discussing addiction is exactly why the rally was held to create a public forum for many to face the addiction in their own lives and the lives around them and acknowledge that there is no shame in talking about it, getting help, and celebrating the choice for sobriety.
The rally and concert was organized by Facing Addiction, a new, national non-profit group that will serve as a voice for the over 85 million Americans impacted by addiction. A large contingent of celebrities lent their talent, voices, and personal stories to the afternoon to help show that this fight is not one that people need to go through alone.
Jim Hood and Greg Williams, Co-Founders, Facing Addiction
The afternoon felt in many ways like a giant support group for thousands who came from across the country to confront the issue. Hundreds wore shirts marked with dates of their sobriety, others held high signs of support with sayings like “Recovery is Contagious” and “Families Recover Together.”
Among the speakers; U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, Former MLB player Darryl Strawberry, Patrick Kennedy, Christopher Kennedy Lawford, Governor Bill Weld, Debbie King and more. King, the daughter of legendary boxing promoter Don King said that the rally was not to be missed for her, and that “I give my life to save yours.” She pushed hard the message of togetherness and that it was not about herself or any one person, and the emotional crowd felt the message. Many in the crowd responded to stories from speakers about personal loss and mistakes made because of addiction, but also that it doesn’t need to be the end of the line.
Sheryl Crow
Famed medical mind Dr. Oz also spoke at the rally and told Hollywood on the Potomac, “it’s the only illness out there that I know where your mind doesn’t want you to get better.” Oz highlights the true battle that addiction has with the body and also notes, “I don’t know anyone who wants to be an addict. In fact, when addicts takes hits they don’t feel good, they feel relief.”
Dr. Oz
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts took to the stage and blasted the medicalization of our problems that has occurred in America. Markey discussed the rise in prescription drug abuse from both legal and illegal sources and said that the problem needs to be addressed, but that this isn’t just a legal battle. “We cannot arrest our way out of the prescription drug crisis in our country.” Markey also seemed hopeful that over time we can get back on course. He referenced data from the Surgeon General’s office that reports that at one point in the U.S. it was 50% of people who were smoking cigarettes and it was a common and accepted addiction in society. Through the years, the public information about the issue has moved that number down to 18% and a similar downgrade is possible for other addictions if we tackle the problems intelligently.
Senator Ed Markey
Rocker Joe Walsh from The Eagles took to the stage to lighten the mood with some music and laid it out simply before he started; “this is important” he said, referencing the cause and his own 21 years of sobriety. “We are grateful to be alive and have our lives back. We are spiritual and helping other addicts is what we are.” Walsh helped to broach the subject and used the word addict, a label that will frighten some in the early stages of recovery because they don’t want the wear the badge and the stigma it comes with. The rally helped to foster an open dialogue that this disease is one that doesn’t need to be cloaked in the shadows, otherwise the trend will continue that for every one addict who recovers, seven do not.
Joe Walsh
Speaker to speaker, it was referenced that there is no substantive national policy for tackling addiction and that judicial solutions are short term fixes if they fix anything at all. As is the message of Melissa Fitzgerald and her organization, Justice for Vets. Justice for Vets works with veteran treatment courts where substance abuse incidents are treated with empathy rather than using blanket enforcement. Why is this veteran using drugs and alcohol? Is this incident the cause of something or the effect of a bigger issue like a gap in medical service? The organization is a professional services division of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and hopes to expand its approach to more areas of the country to tackle these issues.
Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A.
Also on hand to lend her voice and spotlight to the cause was actress Allison Janney, who currently stars on the CBS series “Mom” where she plays a recovering addict who she calls “deeply flawed” but one that helps to draw attention to a serious issue. Just this past month, Janney won her seventh career Emmy and closed her speech by saying that the show brings light to addiction but also reminds people, “there is hope.”
Steven Tyler
The evening capped off with a celebration of the lives lost and the lives touched and the lives on the way to recovery with music from inspiring artists including The Fray, John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Tommy Sims, Jonathan Butler, the incomparable Sheryl Crow and rock legend Steven Tyler. Tyler bellowed his signature howl as he paraded across the stage and it was a reminder of the healing power of music. This rock legend has never sounded better and after a day confronting a difficult topic, people were ready to join in an uplifting symphony with him as he sang a song that couldn’t be more appropriate, “Come Together.”
Melissa Fitzgerald and Allison Janney
Take a look at Allison Janney and Melissa Fitzgerald (both alumni of TV’s The West Wing) discuss addiction and working together to highlight the cause:
