The thing I can say for the Russian anti-gay stance is it might make some of the more close-minded Americans rethink theirs.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death doesn’t really sadden me. As most people know, heroin does sometimes have the effect of killing the user. As a non-heroin user myself, it doesn’t really affect me one way or the other. Now if it had been an overdose of Nutella, something amazing and completely required to live a rich and full life, I’d be rethinking my stance. “Nutella killed him? Holy shit! That could have been me!” as I shovel another spoonful in my mouth. “I can quit any time I want.”