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Fair ~ High: 80°F ~ Low: 54°F Wednesday, May 16, 2012 |
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Meth WatchPosted Monday, June 16, 2008, at 5:12 PM
Lately, the headlines on Fort Scott residents being arrested for allegedly purchasing illegal amounts of pseudoephedrine/ephedrine found in over-the-counter decongestant medicines has caught my attention - mainly because my maiden family name was listed.
Don't worry. The embarrassment is already out there. This will not add to it. I won't judge the "alleged" decisions of people in my family. They are my family. I love them nevertheless. I just really, really do not agree with this particular "alleged" decision. In fact, I think it was just plain idiotic. However, I think that it provides an excellent opportunity to express my opinion on the matter in writing, as I have already expressed it in person. I hate drugs. I think they are the stupidest things anyone could ever get involved with. I have never been able to understand how people could do it. I have watched drugs ruin the lives of family members and dear friends, take away everyone and everything they have worked for, put a barrier between them and God, therefore, preventing a good life. That said, even if you do not do drugs, why would you purchase ingredients for people that are making one of the worst drugs out there, meth? The ingredients of meth are atrocious. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (www.kdheks.gov) lists several ingredients such as lye, brake fluid and drain cleaners, all of which I am pretty sure are labeled "poisonous" on them. Meth is highly addictive and dangerous. KDHE lists short-term side effects such as convulsions, aggressive behavior and paranoia and long-term effects such as liver, brain, lung and kidney damage, and permanent psychological problems, not to mention death. So let me ask this question -- would you want your kid on this? Then why would you contribute to making it possible for someone to potentially sell it to your kid? Oh, it won't happen to your kid, right? I hope the money was worth it. It terrifies me to know that my son will be confronted with this as he grows up. It's a far cry from what I was faced with as a kid. I know we will train him in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6), but lately it seems like meth is all around. What will it be like when he has to deal with it? Bourbon County charged nine people with one count of unlawful acts, a non-person misdemeanor for purchasing illegal amounts of pseudoephedrine/ephedrine found in over-the-counter decongestant medicines. Yet the manufacturing of meth is a felony. In my personal opinion, people who purchase ingredients for people to make meth should be charged with a felony as well. Yet they seemingly get a slap on the wrist. I see no difference. People who purchase the cold medicine know what the ingredients will be used for. Besides the threat to our children, which by all means is a topic unto itself, meth manufacturing has negative repercussions on the entire community. It has an overbearing negative affect on the community's overall economic development. It creates hostile environments for children and teaches the next generation to produce a drug that kills people instead of getting a job and becoming productive citizens. It breeds theft and violence. When a meth lab is seized, who do you think pays for the cost of housing the suspects and cleaning up the lab? That's right, you do. According to KCI: The Anti-Meth Site (www.kci.org/meth_info/faq_meth) "Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and beyond the financial capabilities of most jurisdictions. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000 but some cost as much as $150,000. The KCI sites motto is right; Meth destroys lives, families and communities. The unreasonable logic behind it all simply has to be greed. Greed for money. A sad trade off that is. Is it worth your losing your life? Losing your children? Losing your salvation? As I and most of the people I know work our rear ends off to make Fort Scott a better place, it sickens me to see people counteract all that hard work by continuing to run themselves and their community into the ground. LUK 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." The Neighborhood Revitalization action team of Fort Scott Community Visioning will host a series of neighborhood clean-up block parties. At those parties, the team will gauge interest in establishing a neighborhood crime/meth watch. If you are interested in establishing a neighborhood watch, contact the NR team at NRfortscott@hotmail.com. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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Very nice blog, wish more people would hold the values you have. I'm sure with a mother like you, your son will be just fine in the years ahead.
I completely agree with everything you have written. Sadly, I have witnessed the destructive consequences of drug abuse among some of my own relatives and friends.
One of the other consequences of drug abuse that you did not mention but have far reaching effects on many innocent people in society is the spread of disease such as some of the hepatitis virus's that can get passed on to the drug abusers children, or their relationship partners who are(at least for a period of time in the beginning) often unaware of the drug abusers secret life.
Yes, I did leave that consequence out. It was a hard blog to write once I got into it. I am very passionate about it, but I do not want to come off as judgmental. There are so many demons that come out with drugs and alcohol. I just don't understand why people unleash that into their lives and their children's lives.
Very good point!
You are so right and without the help of the community the police can not get the makers of this and other terrible drugs that rob us of our love ones. I say we as a whole must speak up. If it looks like drug activity then call the police. these people should not get a slap on the wrists. No drug deal is a good deal it is your life. And not only does it kill it breaks up families. I am so pleased to know that someone else is as angry about the drug problem as I am. Now days they mix meth and crack together. What can we all do to stop this from tearing our families apart and ruining the lives of so many people???? I think everyone has someone in ther family who does drugs. we have kept our eyes closed to long and look at what has happened ? But it is never to late to do something about it. All for some money that is evil a drug dealer will do anything to anyone. Stick to your belief in God and keep praying for your family. I use to think the police do not care but they do people are afraid to talk to the police and that is why they can not do there job. The public needs to be educated so they will no the signs of drug houses. Believe me they are there. Drug use and drug dealers are a community problem it is not just a problem for one family it is a problem for all our families.
We can all encourage people in our neighborhoods to establish a neighborhood crime/meth watch. If enough people in a neighborhood are interested, then I have a contact at the police department who will conduct a meeting on how it works and what to look for. There is a lot of information out there on how to detect meth activity. We can educate our neighbors and get this ball rolling. Imagine establishing neighborhood watches all over Fort Scott. Imagine people calling in when they see drug activities. Imagine our kids being able to live and play safely. Sounds like a small amount of effort for such a big effect.
Anyone who wants to establish a neighborhood watch - let me know!
I am interested so count me in will be in touch. We have a big drug problem in FT Scott but The LORD IS BIGGER. I know this town can be cleaned up the people need to know they can trust the police. Once we get that done the rest will fall into place.
Maybe im just old fashioned but I believe that for a person to truly be free, they should be able to do whatever they want with their own bodies. I hear about people getting arrested for buying cough medicine, I think that is not freedom. Regardless what they are using it for that is their business, not ours. We are making them resort to more dangerous means to get what they want, and believe me they will get it. Other "legal" drugs such as alchohol and tobacco kill more people each year than all the other drugs combined. Marijuana kills zero people each year and is still illegal. How long has the war on drugs been going on? How much money has it spent, and how many lives has it ruined? Drugs would not ruin lives if they were not illegal. I grew up on programs like DARE, and can tell you first hand that they dont work by the numbers of people I know using drugs. These people dont want to get you kids addicted, they just want to be happy. Some people use religion to find happiness and some of them choose to use drugs. Therefore I respectfully disagree with you about the neighborhood watch program, I think it will do nothing but turn everyone in this community against each other. Try talking to some of these horrible "drugies" you will find they are people just like you, and will find that you can get along with them. And by the way that quote from luke 12:15 is very good but I think it is talking about material possesions and greed for things like money, not drugs.
Here is mine.
It is all about personal responsibility. People should get arrested for buying the illegal amount of cough medicine because they are not using it to make themselves or anyone else better from an illness - THEY ARE BUYING THEM FOR METH MAKERS! The thing that gets me is that the law is stated. You have to give your name when you buy it. You know what is going to happen if you buy more than the legal limit - yet people still do it and get arrested. Why - probably because it is just a misdemeanor. No harm, no foul.
I don't see myself as old-fashioned, but I do see myself as a Christian and I know that you will find true freedom in Jesus Christ, never drugs.
The Bible tells us to honor our bodies because we were bought with a price - the blood of Jesus Christ. God gave us senses and feelings and a variety of things in this world to enjoy. While some people may enjoy drugs, the drugs are not good for their bodies. Is the trade off really worth it? Use meth to get high and feel happy, but it is killing you, your family, your finances and your community? I have never met anyone who has used drugs that seems happy. They may find a temporary escape. But in the end, the drugs always ruin their lives.
There is a huge difference between religion and a personal relationship with Jesus.
To believe that we can all live completely alienated from each other as if we do not affect anyone else is ignorant. God did not create us to live alone. You can do what you want in your own home, but it has consequences on your family and your community. You may be the only one using the meth, therefore you think you are only hurting yourself. But you are supplying the dealer with money to continue making meth to sell to other people, possibly new people, possibly a kid.
I agree that other legal drugs do kill people, although I'm really interested to see where you get your statistics (or lack thereof, since you do not supply numbers). Still, even though it is legal does not make it right. It is still bad for you and it is still your personal responsibility to take care of your body. Also - why do you think that marijuana kills zero people a year?
"There is more stability in the number of marijuana-related deaths, ranging from a low of 105 to a high of 209 between 1985 and 1992. However, 457 deaths in which marijuana was found in the body were recorded in 1993." (http://www.cedro-uva.org/lib/harrison.cannabis.03.html)
Well, that may not be as big a number as the other drugs, but it's not 0. And the last year reported in this article is 1993, but I doubt there have been 0 marijuana-relate deaths since then.
The article "What are the long term health effects of marijuana?" from http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_..., states:
- Marijuana smoke contains about 50 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than cigarette smoke. heavy dope users are prone to respiratory problems such as pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma.
- Dope smoking places extra stress on the heart.
- Dope suppresses the production of male sex hormone, shrinks the testes, and inhibits sperm production.
Also - look at the facts that marijuana makes "it's harder to concentrate, your coordination deteriorates. If you smoke during lunch hour your job performance will suffer. In addition, your abilities remain impaired for four to eight hours after the feeling of being stoned passes--much longer than with alcohol."
Not to mention it leads to other drugs.
The war on drugs has been going on for a long time and it should continue for as long as it needs to. I think your point on how many lives has the war on drugs ruined is null in void. The war on drugs has not ruined the person's life. The drugs did, as the drugs are illegal and they should not have them. Laws are put in place for a reason.
I also grew up on programs like DARE and they do work. I learned what drugs could do to you and I never wanted to go there. I also grew up with a father who was a cop. Can't say I hold much respect for the druggie shooting at my dad. But perhaps more effective was seeing first hand what it did to friends and family around me.
The point that these people don't want to get their kids addicted, they just want to be happy - well, my response to that may be a whole other blog. I'll just say here that when my son was born, my entire life changed. You know why? Because that little boy watches, hears and mimics everything little thing that I and my husband do. People should have more love and respect for their children then to have them around drugs. There is absolutely no excuse to have drugs around your kids.
The only thing neighborhood watch programs will do is give people who want to live good, safe lives the ability and confidence to shed light on drug manufacturing and selling in the neighborhoods where their kids play. Do you personally want to live next door to someone making meth?
Oh and by the way some of those "horrible drugies" have been and still are good friends and family members. I love them dearly and miss some of them very, very much because as much as I love them, I will not allow myself or my family to be around the things they do. They are not "horrible" people. They just make really horrible decisions. Ask anyone who has gone to prison for it - also someone in my family - if it was worth it. They have already told all of us it was not.
I'm not trying to use Scripture here to beat people up. I just thought it was a fitting point.
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Luke 12:15
Are drugs not a possession? Do they not run people's lives? Do people not hurt, kill and steal for that next fix? That is a man's life consisting of the abundance of what he can possess. That, to me, is the definition of a drug addict. His or her life is ran by wanting that drug in abundance and they will do what they have to to get it. Drugs breed greed, just like money and material possessions. They can all be subjects of addiction.
I think neighborhood watch is a good thing and it will make the drug dealers flee that is what it will do. Anyone who thinks drugs are a good thing has some serious issues like maybe having a addiction. And yes it is greed that keeps a drug dealer going and the lack of love for there fellow man. I seems strange that the drug dealer can get out of jail as fast as they get in and they can pay for a sharp attorney. I say they should be charged for trading sex for drugs. And they should look at how they get all there money.
- Tabatha Goodwin, The Fort Scott Tribune/Nevada Daily Mail special projects manager/Webmaster.