Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Rather than join “the herd” of kicking Tiger Woods while he’s down and spouting sanctimonious 20/20 hindsight, I’m going to tackle Tiger’s arrest over the Memorial Day weekend from a different angle.

First, let me start off by saying I am guilty of cracking jokes as soon as Tiger’s mug shot hit the internet. Mostly along the lines that his hairline is a lost cause, he should accept baldness.

I know America’s favorite pastime is tearing people down but we need to look at this situation with some humanity. As the details of his arrest were released it became very clear that Tiger is in a personal hell and needs to seek help.

It’s going to get a bit soap boxy from here, so hang tight.

This is another eye opener that substance abuse is a formidable foe. It doesn’t matter your race or tax bracket, it can grab you at any moment and ruin your life. We think of substance abusers as husk like those zombies from “The Walking Dead” wandering around until their next fix, but the truth is a lot of them are hidden in plain sight. They’re family members, dear friends or respected members of the community.

My brother struggled with substance abuse for years and years. There were a lot of peaks and valleys for him, he’d be clean and things would be going smoothly. Then there would be a bump in the road followed by a relapse. While it was frustrating and taxing my parents, they helped as much as they could using different approaches each time.

Today my brother is clean and a good father to his three children. Sometimes it ends much worse but we’re blessed that he found the strength to keep clean. He’ll have to keep his substance abuse at bay for the rest of his days but he’s staying strong.

That to me is what is most inspiring about his recovery, having that constant battle and winning each day. It’s also why I and the entire family are proud of him for being able to keep going no matter what happened in the past.

When you’re trying to help someone with substance abuse it takes time and patience. A lot of patience. This isn’t a movie where a 90-second montage can fix all the problems, we have to live through each day and there are no easy fixes. I think watching what my brother has gone through, along with the compassion and patience that my parents displayed, is what irritates me the most with the reaction toward Tiger.

Tiger was absolutely wrong to get behind the wheel and he should be punished like the rest of us would be in the same situation. But this mob mentality of certain sports media members, who stand on top of the Mount Olympus as if they’re all Zeus casting judgement, is disheartening. It really shows their true colors as petty, vindictive people who have been waiting to cast their stone. All because Tiger was a jerk to them on the course or threw his golf club out on the course.

Substance abuse is a problem in this country and if we’re serious about addressing the problem maybe we should rein it in on the over-shaming. This way it makes it easier for those seeking help for their substance abuse, and their shame isn’t compounded by a vitriolic reaction from those around them. Then we can finally begin making some headway on this problem.

Here’s to hoping Tiger will look and find the help he needs.

And now the dismount from my soap box.