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Acceptance is the Answer
Dr Paul O’s story was originally titled “Bronze Moccasins” when first printed in the in the May 1975 Grapevine. A Grapevine Editor (Paula C not Dr Paul) changed the title of the story when it was incorporated into the 3rd edition Big Book. An interview with him was published in the July 1995 Grapevine. It is very interesting. A portion of the Q/A is listed below:
o you think that your story might help those who are dually addicted? “GV: D
Dr.Paul: I think it does. I think the story makes clear the truth that an alcoholic can also be an addict, and indeed that an alcoholic has a constitutional right to have as many problems as he wants! But I also think that if you’re not an alcoholic, being an addict doesn’t make you one. The way I see it, an alcoholic is a person who can’t drink and who can’t use drugs, and an addict is a person who can’t use drugs and can’t drink. But that doesn’t mean that every AA meeting has to be open to a discussion of drugs if it doesn’t want to. Every meeting has the right to say it doesn’t want drugs discussed. People who want to discuss drugs have other places where they can go to talk about that. And AA is very open to giving the Steps and Traditions to other groups who want to use them. I know this from my own experience, because I wrote to the General Service Office and got permission to start Pills Anonymous and Chemical Dependency Anonymous. I did that when I was working in the field of chemical dependency. We started groups but I didn’t go to them because I get everything I need from AA. I don’t have any trouble staying away from talking about drugs, and I never introduce myself as an alcoholic/addict. I’m annoyed — or maybe irritated is a better word — by the people who keep insisting that AA should broaden to include drugs and addictions other than alcohol. In fact I hear it said that AA should change its name to Addicts Anonymous. I find that a very narrowminded view based on people’s personal opinions and not on good sense. History tells us that the Washingtonians spread themselves so thin they evaporated. Jim B. says the greatest thing that ever happened in AA was the publication of the Big Book, because it put in writing what the program was and made it available all over the world. So wherever you go it’s the same program. I don’t see how you could change the program unless you changed the book and I can’t see that happening.
GV: It’s a question of singleness of purpose?
hat singleness of purpose thing is so significant. It seems to be working; why Dr. Paul: T would we change it? I can’t think of any change that would be an improvement.”
End of preserved source document.
