Public out cry in the media in every community and state is needed to fight the war against our families - (ie. drug war) -

More money is being appropriated for law enforcement, drug task forces, more and more prisons, jails and prosecutors to enforce the drug war policy and laws - what we need is more money for drug treatment, drug rehabiliation and re entry programs to help those addicted - learn how to stay clean, live clean and be clean in the future -

Write your local paper, media and tv - tell them that the focus should be on treatment - not locking up more people addicted to drugs!

Check out your own state drug laws - and reform efforts - for example in AZ the attorney general is using a model for fighting Meth from a state in the middle part of the U.S. -whose main source of Meth into the state is home labs - thus restricting the sale of products used to make the drug will be somewhat efficient in fighting the problem - although not the catch all way to do it mind you - BUT in AZ - Meth comes largely from the Mexico/AZ borders, and restricting products used to make this drug in home labs is hardly going to cut the problem down much - if at all - all it does is create job security for law enforcement and prosectors -

Write your media - in your local community - get the word out - raise public awareness - before the drug war destroys more children and families - from distorted thinking and drug war reforms that target and take out those addicted, and fail to help anyone in need of help from substance abuse!

I HAVE WRITTEN EVERYONE FROM THE PRESIDENT TO OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. SO MUCH ACTUALLY THAT THEY PROBABLY THINK I`M SOME KIND OF FREAK. IT SEEMS THEIR MENTALITY IS TO LOCK DRUG ADDICTS AWAY, END OF PROBLEM. EVERY SINGLE FAMILY I KNOW IS TOUCHED BY DRUG ABUSE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. IT`S ABSOLUTELY SICKENING THE WAY ALL OF THESE ADDICTS ARE BEING TREATED. :( :angry: :(


LI`L SIS

I must admit that my faith in our court systems has ***ished when it comes to those who are addicted to drugs. It seems that the user is just an easy target for the police and the courts. And as most of us know those who are addicted are sick and need help. I have seen this first hand. My wife is one of those people who are sick and needs the help.
Addiction to drugs or alcohol is an illness, just as cancer or any other physical or mental illness. The police could care in the least, the addict is easy pray for them, most cops I have come into contact with think they have really done something big to bust a user. The problem is that they are outsmarted by the dealers the one's who should be in prison. So they don't get busted as easy. Beside's that it costs too much money to go after the big dealers, so bust the poor addict. Now granted the addict will commit crimes to get the money to buy, part of their illness. We could go on and on about this forever, but the bottom line is the police are cheap and lazy in most cases, and in some cases are not smart enough to go after the dealers. So who pays for this... our loved ones who are sick with their addiction.... Oh and by the way, we the families pay also!
I would love nothing more than to see dope and alcohol ***ish from the face of the earth. But damn, what would the cops and the courts do then? It might cost them more funding and reduction of their storm troopers.

Sorry for ranting, but no at this point and time our legal system is not doing anything to help, it seems they just make it all worse.

JR:angry:

If they got rid of all the drugs, 80% of the police force, court system, prisons, prison guards, jails, etc would not even exist. All of these people and all related jobsto them would be laid off. It is a big business really which when you think about it relies on the addicts to give them a 80% of their pay check. If they all went back to school to be drug councillors and treatment specialist and converted three quarters of the prisons and jails to treatment centers the world would be a better place. Our neighbourhoods would be and so would our loved ones.

Addiction will probably always exist on some level, it has a very long history, but its a war out of control now with the very people the war was designed to protect ending up as the victims.

Dont be sorry for ranting, the more ranting the more chance that something will change down the road. Writing letters, joining anti drug war organizations and supporting restorative justice policies is what is needed. So keep the letters going and never stop ranting !!!

There are many organizations that can make a difference if you add your voice to theirs:

November Coalition (http://www.november.org/)
Drug War Chronicles (http://stopthedrugwar.org/index.shtml)
Common Sense For Drug Policy (http://www.csdp.org/)
LEAP Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (http://www.leap.cc/)
And the list goes on and heres a list to prove it: http://www.csdp.org/links.htm

Keep expressing how you feel about this and keep posting folks, we can and will make a difference!!!

Amen to the part about more rehabs!!! Our state hardly has any for people who are low income and have no insurance. If the law was more concerned about rehabilitating people our world would be a better place. You're right, it's all about job security for law enforcement, etc.

My fiancee and I run a DRA meeting in Pocomoke, MD. It is Dual Recovery Anonymous. We have found in our own experience that most addicts also have mental disorders that need to be adressed for the person to really become whole. DRA helps them do that. There are meetings all over the US. Check into it. It really does help!