English - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English - - Essay Example Both papers agree that addictions are â€Å"rooted in unhappiness†, though Dr. Mate in his essay states this from the onset and Mr. Alexander takes two pages through various information in history to bring this point across. Nevertheless, they are agreed that one does not become addicted simply because one â€Å"wants† to be addicted to something; there must be some underlying cause within a person’s life to quite literally â€Å"force† them into addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, or anything else. Both essays state clearly that there must be some unhappiness or something on the whole that the person is lacking, that is then filled when the addiction is discovered. However, in reading both papers, while they present differing viewpoints on the issue of addiction, it is my belief that the more fair, just, and realistic attitude is expressed by Dr. Gabor Mate in his essay, â€Å"Embraced by the Needle†, because unlike Mr. Alexander, Dr. Mate end eavors to approach the issue of addiction by individual example with firsthand information, and not blaming society as a whole. The issue of addiction is thoroughly and repeatedly discussed from different viewpoints in both papers. Mr. Alexander tries to make the point that free-market societies are to blame for society’s ills and addictions, by treating them badly and displacing them, while Dr. Mate takes a more firsthand approach to the issue. Though Mr. Alexander cites many case histories throughout his essay, â€Å"Addiction in Free Markets†, they are always in the third person, and not one is backed by data or facts outside of his observations of the early 21st century and the historical nature of his work. Specifically discussed in â€Å"Addictions in Free Markets† are the plights of Native Americans to become easily addicted to alcohol, citing that society is to blame because it ‘dislocated’ them by making them leave their original tribal lan d. Mr. Alexander also states that before this â€Å"forced dislocation† had occurred, alcohol was rarely used or consumed by Native Americans, sometimes only in ceremonial purposes; therefore, the blame is on the free-market society that pushed the Native Americans from their land. In presenting this issue, Mr. Alexander does not quote one Native American, nor does he use scientific studies to back up his claims, thereby only presenting one issue and only one side of that issue. Though history sometimes speaks for itself, the voices of those living with the dislocation (even generations later) would have presented a more fair, and just, approach to the topic, as Dr. Mate presents in his paper by using firsthand quotes and case studies with his patients. Mr. Alexander also makes the point that â€Å"free-market societies universally dislocate their members, leading to mass addiction.† Can one action really doom a set of people? The answer is no. Each and every person is an individual, and therefore it is up to them how they deal with a set of circumstances. No two people are alike, and therefore cannot be expected to react or deal with a situation the same way. Much of Mr. Alexander’s essay focuses on the fact that because a certain group of people were dislocated or displaced, they were doomed from the outset, no matter what happened. While Dr. Mate agrees that there must be some underlying cause or issue in addiction, he prefers to present each person as a unique individual. While it is true that Dr. Mate uses group