Thomas, C. Culprits in Bias’ death. (1986, June 28). The Boston Globe.

OVERVIEW

Len Bias had it all. He was a University of Maryland basketball star, one of the best collegiate players in the country, top pick of the world champion Boston Celtics, future millionaire, and driver of a brand new sports car.

His tragic death from cocaine intoxication demonstrated to shocked athletes and young people around the country that cocaine is not a safe, recreational drug. Its use by either initial users or habitual users can be lethal; a dose that might not kill at one time or prove harmful to other users can kill at another time. Cocaine is unpredictable and dangerous. If this fact is demonstrated in a way that will stem the tide of cocaine use and infatuation, then Len Bias did not die in vain.

Thomas points to a much deeper meaning in Bias’ death. He sees the bumper sticker, "All I want is a little more than I have now," as a motto for our times:

It appears that Bias wanted a little more than he had and that cocaine, the number one pick of more and more young people as their favorite recreational drug, is what did him in.

But cocaine alone didn’t kill Len Bias. It had several accomplices. They are overly tolerant and permissive attitudes, the reluctance to say no, the refusal to teach absolutes in our public schools, the fear of lawsuits by individuals and groups that spend more time searching for the presence of God in the classroom than drugs in the hallway—these are what really killed Len Bias.

...Yes, Bias had had a spiritual conversion, but his relationship with God was new and untempered. When the pressure of his new-found fame got to be too much, Bias apparently surrendered.

Senator William Armstrong (R-Colorado) believes the media have acted irresponsibly by failing to portray the devastating consequences of drug use: "The media cannot escape a huge portion of responsibility for the drug epidemic. I am not suggesting that we tamper with the First Amendment, but I am suggesting that we must deal with the permissive attitudes toward drugs shown on TV which leads kids to experiment."

Cal Thomas concludes, "Now he (Len Bias) is dead and men cry and hang their heads. They should do more than hang their heads. They should resolve that Len Bias’ death shall not have been in vain. They should resolve with every fiber of their being to arrest Len Bias’ real killers. Those (producers and writers, etc.) who are poisoning our culture and contributing to the death of our children should...either be driven toward responsibility or into another line of work."

IMPLICATIONS

1. There are two lessons to be learned from Len Bias’ death. First, young cocaine users must acknowledge that cocaine is a lethal and unpredictable drug. Second, society must accept responsibility for being too indulgent and too permissive.
2. U.S. society must consider the line between freedom and responsibility. It must also determine the extent to which media and advertising should be allowed the freedom to influence young people in destructive ways. Society must also determine the extent of responsibility athletes has as role models for the young.
3. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen once observed, "There is no freedom given without an accompanying responsibility." In grieving for Len Bias, young people, teachers, and leaders must reappraise the need for responsible actions and for training in that responsibility.