Drugs
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
I am a man that lives in our community. I am your neighbor and your friend.
I don't need to tell you that we have a drug problem in our community. Meth, cocaine and even Heroin has found its way into our lives and our family and friends. I also don't need to tell you that the way we have been dealing with this problem is not working. The arrests, the long or short prison sentences, the Drug Task Force, the judges and prosecutor, and even the lawmakers, what have they done?
These people in power focus only on punishment and nothing on education, rehabilitation or anything to help our friends and neighbors. We let our tax money be spent on housing non-violent drug-offenders, building jails and pouring thousands of dollars into failed efforts by this so-called Drug Task Force. We look the other way and pretend that because the person was arrested, that the problem is going away, and it's not. In fact, it is getting worse, and will continue to do so unless we come up with a new plan.
A plan that focuses on help, rehab available and even sometimes mandatory for the ones that don't have the means to pay for such treatment, setting up a drug court and a victim's impact panel. I am not claiming to have all the answers, but if we all come together and stop looking the other way, maybe we can actually help some of these people, and our community. It is time for something new because the old way simply does not work.
Jason Bell
Westville
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I am a man that lives in our community. I am your neighbor and your friend.
I don't need to tell you that we have a drug problem in our community. Meth, cocaine and even Heroin has found its way into our lives and our family and friends. I also don't need to tell you that the way we have been dealing with this problem is not working. The arrests, the long or short prison sentences, the Drug Task Force, the judges and prosecutor, and even the lawmakers, what have they done?
These people in power focus only on punishment and nothing on education, rehabilitation or anything to help our friends and neighbors. We let our tax money be spent on housing non-violent drug-offenders, building jails and pouring thousands of dollars into failed efforts by this so-called Drug Task Force. We look the other way and pretend that because the person was arrested, that the problem is going away, and it's not. In fact, it is getting worse, and will continue to do so unless we come up with a new plan.
A plan that focuses on help, rehab available and even sometimes mandatory for the ones that don't have the means to pay for such treatment, setting up a drug court and a victim's impact panel. I am not claiming to have all the answers, but if we all come together and stop looking the other way, maybe we can actually help some of these people, and our community. It is time for something new because the old way simply does not work.
Jason Bell
Westville
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