I have just posted the following message on twitter (@SinghNavdeep) through a screenshot:

Sign O’ The Times: Unethical Coverage of Prince’s untimely demise:

Disrespectful is the word that comes to mind when I think about the eyeball-grabbing headlines surrounding Prince’s untimely and unfortunate demise.

Some media outlets- mostly click-greedy websites, employed the terminology of “drug addiction” intermittently and ambiguously, forgetting in the bargain that his death was because of an accidental overdose of legally prescribed medicines and not due to illicit drugs. There is a difference between dependence on prescription medication for excruciating chronic pain and illicit/recreational drugs which are consumed to get high. At times, for such chronic conditions, actually even for mild conditions or lifestyle disorders such as hypertension, there is no way out but constant medication.

Probably this media and tabloid frenzy was the reason why Prince could not get help in time since in all probability he thought that his chronic pain and medication would be scandalized into something monstrous. He did try, but died the same day when a representative of a pain management specialist reached him.

One should not forget that Prince led a healthy life and his work contains a strong anti-drug message and that he was averse to intoxicants. The only thing that he was addicted to was his work and art. All those years of splits and his impeccable stagecraft which all of us cherished, took the toll on his health. His pain worsened because of us- the consumers of his art, whom he never wanted to let down since he wanted to soldier on and give us his best. Let us also not forget that after cancelling his show in Atlanta, he made sure that he honored it soon thereafter and was back to performing what became his last concert. He also admitted that he was ‘under the weather’. If only we could be a little more understanding.

Rather than the undue and unethical focus which has become the order of the day, the world must use this opportunity to place the spotlight on pain management and minimizing dependence on opioid painkillers and their rampant prescription. People suffering from pain require your care and sensitivity, not shaming.

Besides being a genius, Prince was a good, spiritual, clean and giving man. His integrity was never under question. Let us be more responsible while reporting the causes of his death.

It would be nice if everything were more compassionate.

NinaB said:

Thank you.

what she said