Howard K Stern and the Raw Deal

Howard K. Stern is getting a raw deal. In the weeks since the death of his beloved Anna Nicole Smith, the media and the public have been blaming Howard K. Stern for Howard is being painted as a bad guy who let Anna Nicole Smith waste away on drugs. It is as if Anna Nicole Smith herself has absolutely no personal responsibility for her own life and behavior. It is as if the doctors prescribing the drugs she was taking don't even exist. Everything we hear about Howard K. Stern is that he is an enabler and or a murderer.

Why is anyone expected to control the behavior of another? Howard loved Anna, and he did what he could when he could, but ultimately, she is the one who took the drugs. She is the only one who could make that choice. If you have ever known an addict of any kind, you know you cannot control that person. Maybe if your loved one is a minor, then you could legally place him or her into a treatment facility against his or her will. However, Anna Nicole Smith was not a minor and she was not the ward of Howard K. Stern. She was his friend and confidante. She was not his child. Why would Howard want Anna dead?

When the media and society place the blame on Howard K. Stern, they are sending the wrong message about drug use and abuse. Where did the idea of personal responsibility go? Why is the public trying to hang this on Howard? Is it because he is the one left alive? If it had been Howard K. Stern who died instead of Anna Nicole Smith, would she be the one being attacked? Is it only because she is dead that she is being absolved of any responsibility for her own actions? Isn't that a bit unfair?