TO: EVOC 518 Dr. Ron Pendleton
FROM:
DATE:
RE: 518, Extra mile
RAY
Ethical & Cultural
Insights
The movie “Ray” is one that I plan to ad to my video library of movie’s due to the nature of addiction that was demonstrated. Ray (played by Jamie Fox) was first introduced to marijuana when he first began his career as a singer/musician. Just like 90% of all addicts I have taught and counseled marijuana was one of the first drugs experimented. This reinforced that marijuana is a “gateway” drug for many people. It was challenging enough to have been black and blind in those days but to compile drug abuse on top of it made it even worse.
A list of insights that student/clients I know that might gain from this movie:
This movie showed that addiction can rule and ruin ones life. It is filled with deception and denial that enables one to do things they would not normally do otherwise. Despite his success and fame he could not stop using until he discovered that Equal Rights and standing up for his culture and ethnicity was something much more important than his drugs. This movie reinforced my philosophy that the abuse of alcohol and other drugs is but a symptom of a greater problem and that one needs to get down to the causes and conditions of the drug abuse and find or discover a replacement that is healthy and constructive that will enable them to live life on life’s terms.
I would use this movie in the manner of helping students see that no matter how tough one has it in life addiction can be overcome. It would teach that perseverance and determination, used in the right way, are what it takes to improve the quality of ones life.