You are probably not going to like hearing this, but I’m going to call out every one of you, including myself. Enough is enough. This time three people are dead, and I am sick and tired of seeing this happen which is why I feel the need to speak up about this now.

Something is truly wrong within our culture and it has to change, preventing future tragedies starts with us…

The causes of the three deaths at HARD Summer have yet to be identified, so this may not be applicable to those specific instances. Nevertheless, I’m going to address a general problem that I see almost every time I’m at a concert or festival and that I’ve been guilty of myself. We all know how much our community enjoys taking substances and, honestly, I don’t think there is anything wrong with it as long as you’re doing it responsibly and in moderation.

The real problem is us, the irresponsible and selfish friends. Friends who have no idea what they are taking, but everybody “trusts” one another. Friends who generously offer more when they should know that he or she has had enough. Friends who choose to sit them down in a crowd of 10,000 people in 90+ degree weather because they would rather not miss this set. Friends who are so focused on their own happiness and well-being that they ignore obvious signs that the person next to them is on life’s edge.