Whitney Houston's death: legalize drugs, says Tony Bennett

Easy listening icon Tony Bennett, 85, called for drugs to be legalized this week, in a moving tribute to Whitney Houston he delivered at Clive Davis's annual pre-Grammys party.

"First it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston," the Vegas crooner told stars.

"I'd like every person in this room to campaign to legalize drugs,” he urged.

"Let's legalize drugs like they did in Amsterdam, "No one's hiding or sneaking around corners to get it. They go to a doctor to get it."

His comments provoked a surprisingly balanced reaction from Rupert Murdoch’s ultra-right wing network Fox News who quoted liberally from addiction expert Maer Roshan, editor of The Fix.com, who said he supported Bennett’s decision to use Houston’s death to provoke a debate.

“At detoxes and rehabs across the country, prescription pill addicts and alcoholics and meth-heads are coke-heads all share the same plight, and suffer from the same scatter-shot treatment,” he noted, “Bennett, who has been public about is own drug problems, should not be condemned for putting the issue on the table.” (FoxNews; http://fxn.ws/x3Cy9B )

Speaking about the issue later, Bennett said he received ‘mostly positive’ responses to his legalization call and continued his theme, telling Rolling Stone magazine it would ‘"get rid of all the gangsters that make people hide’.

“One thing I've learned about young people, when you say 'Don't do this,' that's the one thing they're going to try and do,” he added.

“Once it's legal and everybody can do it, there is no longer the desire to do something that nobody else can do.” (Rolling Stone: http://bit.ly/ySCce6 )

http://www.thefix.com/
Whitney Houston is going to be buried today, Saturday Feb 18. Also there is an album of unreleased songs being prepared.