War on Drugs hits home

January 7, 2012

It has been a while since I have updated this blog. Hope to do better, but so very busy fighting the "man".

This past week the War on Drugs came to Utah with a vengeance. And it was a real war. The Ogden area, like others in the State, maintains a militarized "task force", supposedly to fight drugs. These guys train for battle, are heavily armed, and wear body armor, in anticpation of a firefight. This week twelve of them planned a "raid" of a home where they reputedly had information that an occupant was growing his own marijuana (and may have sold some - it still is not clear). They broke in his door at night; and things did not go as planned. One is dead, two others are in critical condition, and three others were wounded less seriously. The community has come together for candelight vigils and other expressions of support of these heroes.

I want to make it clear right now, that this was a tragedy. It should not have happened. But I look around and I do not see any heroes, just more victims of a drug policy which creates so many of them. What possible reason was there for this military assault? Was anyone in immediate danger of serious harm? The tactics themselves make little sense. They knew who lived there, and that he worked a graveyard shift at Walmart. Why not wait until he was not home? Better yet, why not try and arrange to go there during the day and talk to him in a civilized manner? Or even better yet, why not ask if such a "raid" was even necessary? Marijuana possession is not s serious crime, even in Utah. When twelve heavily armed men charge a house with guns drawn, doesn't it seem likely that SOMEBODY may get hurt? Is grabbing a few marijuana plants worth ANYONE'S life?

I am reading a book about a man who grew up with drug addicted parents in New York. Wouldn't have had a chance in life except for a friend who helped him get out and lead a real life. The drug war went on all around him; and those police who were fighting it never had a snowball's chance in the hot place of winning. So lives were destroyed and nothing got better. I do not like drugs. I do not use them. I also do not, however, believe that I can force you to do as I do. I have wateched the drug war lose ground from the day President Nixon decared it. A whole generation of young people have been made criminals, and it is NOT getting better.

We should mourn the fallen officers; and we should mourn the man whose life has been destroyed by defending his home against a nighttime breakin by men he likely did not know were police officers. And then we should talk about how to fight the evil effects of drug addiction without destroying more lives.

Please consider doing something to help. I am gearing up to run for Utah Attoreney General. Yes, I have done this before; but this incident reminds me that we need new ideas in law enforcement. Join me in my fight for common sense. And demand a stop to the violence.