Treat drug use as public health issue, not crime

Treat drug use as a public health issue, not crime

The letter "Funding anti-drug efforts wise investment" seems to be based entirely on opinion. It's naive to believe that criminalizing drug users is effective when one looks at the statistics and consequences.

In 2005, this country spent more than $45 billion on all aspects of the drug war. In 2006, nearly 800,000 Americans were incarcerated for marijuana offenses. Drug convictions inhibit their ability to receive financial aid for college and to find a good job.

I Corinthians 15:33 says "Bad company corrupts good morals." These minor drug offenders are spending their time in the company of murderers, rapists, child molesters, etc.

Drugs may cause some people to commit crimes, but law enforcement should punish the actual crime, not the drug use. If drugs were legal, the black market would vanish and the turf wars would be extinct.

I believe the bottom line is, who owns our body? Do we own our own body? Does the government? Does God? As free Americans, should the government punish us for putting something in our bodies?

The drugs we deem legal -- cigarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs -- combined kill more than 500,000 Americans annually, compared with less than 20,000 deaths annually caused by illicit drug use. (Zero marijuana deaths.)

The war on drugs is inaccurate, it is a war on drug users. It is a shame that our country creates criminals instead of treating drug use as what it is, a public health issue.
Jacob Lee
Montgomery
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I don't know Mr. Lee but I was very glad to see his wonderful letter in todays Montgomery Advertiser Opinion section. I wrote this one back in March. A few days later this pro-cop letter appeared as a counter to mine. It wasn't a very good one as it seemed to say that I am naive and misinformed therefore the drug war is working. Huh? I responded on the forums with this but never got a response from the letter writer....or anyone else for that matter. I mean....what can you say to counter facts?



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One more time: Last Word

In today's Anniston Star opinion section I am pitted head-to-head with none other than Sgt. Jim Henderson, VP of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Assoc. and once again I get the last word!

I'm getting pretty good at this. Today's printing is the third time in a week that I have gotten the last word on drug policy issues.


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Last Word!

In Jan. 2008 Sgt. Jim Henderson, VP of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Assoc. began protesting federal cuts to his drug task force budget on the pages of many Alabama Newspapers starting with this in the the Birmingham News "Not enough money for war on Drugs", which was followed about a month later with the news of a Drug Sweeps that netted 300 arrests in which Sgt. Henderson seems to imply that warrants were held (even though the cops had information that kids were living in meth labs) in order to create a big media scene and posture before cameras in hopes of getting their welfare check back. I wrote a letter which the BHAM News published today....right after Sgt. Henderson's second letter saying they only arested dealers...."Yeah Right!

DRUG WAR:

Drug task force grant needed

On March 5, 41 states participated in a nationwide arrest roundup called "Operation Byrne Blitz." The name is in reference to the federally funded Byrne-Justice Assistance Grant that funds vital drug task forces and drug courts with rehabilitation programs.

The roundup targeted drug dealers in rural and urban neighborhoods, not addicts or users. This operation was coordinated by the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies in partnership with the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition.

Nationally, the operation resulted in the arrests of 4,220 individuals and the seizure of a variety of drugs, 666 firearms and more than $13.46 million. Most important, 228 children were determined to be endangered, and those cases were referred to their respective child-protection agencies.

In Alabama, 19 Byrne-JAG drug task forces participated in the operation. The roundup resulted in the arrest of 286 persons and the seizure of a variety of drugs, 11 firearms, stolen property and $25,013. Thirty-six search warrants were executed. Again, most important in the operation was the discovery of 15 endangered children who were referred to the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

One striking statistic in this one-day operation is the seizure of 105 meth labs nationally. This number includes 24 meth labs in Alabama alone.

It is vital that Congress properly fund this grant for local law enforcement. State and local governments cannot conduct this fight alone. Drug trafficking is an international problem that affects the citizens of Alabama at a neighborhood level.

Jim Henderson

Alabama Narcotics

Officers Association

and Birmingham

Police sergeant

Birmingham

Funding cuts a good thing:
In response to "Nearly 300 arrested in statewide drug sweep" (March 7, The News), I found a number of things very disturbing.

In January, Birmingham Police Sgt. Jim Henderson, vice president of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Association, protested the federal government's cuts to his budget on The News' editorial page, claiming the cuts would make drug task forces ineffective. When have they ever been effective?

Every year, the number of drug arrests and the amount of drugs seized rise. If the tactics employed by Henderson and other drug warriors were working, shouldn't those numbers be going down?

The March 7 article seemed to imply that execution of warrants was delayed in order to create a big media scene, even though the cops knew there were children living in meth labs. I guess the safety and well-being of children are only important when they can be used as ransom in exchange for a government welfare check.

Drug task forces are equivalent to people who abuse the welfare system. Instead of doing real police work on serious crimes like murder, rape, child-sex assault, robbery and vehicle theft, they focus on rounding up low-level, nonviolent drug users because it's easy. And they get a government welfare check for doing so.

The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center reports that crime clearance rates for 2005 were 19 percent. The drug warrior welfare cuts should be looked on as a good thing. Perhaps now, police will get to work on solving real crimes.

Loretta Nall

Alexander City

I LOVE it when I get the last word! Thanks BHAM News!!





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Anti-drug efforts haven't worked

The Montgomery Advertiser is running an LTE today that I sent in recently.

Anti-drug efforts haven't worked


In response to "Drug Raid Nets Arrests Across the County" (03/07) I found a number of things very disturbing.

In January, Sgt. Jim Henderson vice president of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Association began protesting the federal government cuts to his budget on the editorial pages of many Alabama newspapers. He claimed the cuts would make drug task forces ineffective.

When have they ever been effective? Every year the number of drug arrests and the amount of drugs seized rises. If the tactics employed by Sgt. Henderson and other drug warriors were working, then shouldn't those numbers be going down?

Should they be rewarded for repeated failure with more cash? Only in government does something as asinine as rewarding failure happen. In the private sector they would be unemployed.

This article seemed to imply that execution of warrants was delayed in order to create a big media scene. I guess the safety and well-being of the public is only important when there is a government welfare check involved and when there is a media camera nearby.

Doesn't sound to me like they did this in the interest of public safety, but more as a measure of job security. But then again the drug war itself is job security. It is meant to be waged and not won.

The cops have no real interest in ridding their communities of drugs. If they were successful, that welfare check would dry up and they would be out of a job.

Drug task forces are equivalent to people who abuse the welfare system. Instead of doing real police work on serious crimes like murder, rape, child sex assault, robbery and vehicle theft they focus on rounding up low-level, nonviolent drug users because it's easy. And they get a government welfare check for doing so.

The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center reports that crime clearance rates for 2005 were 19 percent. The drug warrior welfare cuts should be looked upon as a good thing.

Perhaps now police will get to work on solving real crimes.
Loretta Nall
Alexander City





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