It’s a lot more fun writing columns that contain positive subjects or topics that can make us all laugh. It’s too bad that everything in the real world could not be upbeat and pleasant. Sometimes, you just have to talk about things that are not so nice or down right sad. But you can’t really hope to solve problems, if you’re not even willing to speak about them. This week is just one of those weeks.
I received a call from an old friend, a former South Boston resident, who long ago moved to a small Cape Cod town because she, like some others, was tired of city life and wanted a change. She said it was her family’s wish to attempt to escape some of the crime and drugs that often occur, when so many people are “crammed too close to one another”. When she called, she wasn’t happy and just wanted to talk and maybe vent a little. You see, a teenage member of her family recently died from a heroin over dose and she was understandably shocked, depressed and devastated that her family just lost one of their own at so young an age. She asked me if I had any answers on what could be done to help eradicate the scourge of drug abuse by so many young people, particularly those hooked on heroin. I told her I wish I did have the answer but of course, I do not. It’s a tough one.
The question was then asked if I thought that the dealers who push their poison should be convicted of murder, if the drugs they sold caused people to die. I thought about it for about half a second then answered yes, I think they should be or at the very least tried for murder in the 2nd degree.
South Boston has seen far too many of its young residents fall victim to the scourge of dangerous drugs, including heroin. Quiet rural states like Vermont, Maine and now even New Hampshire are experiencing the same type of epidemic and losing their young people just as South Boston has. Every state in the country has also seen a dramatic rise over the last decade.
The way I see it, those who have become addicted to this poison need treatment but those who are bringing it into the country, as well as those who deal it on the streets should be imprisoned with a maximum sentence. And as was stated, anyone who is found guilty of dealing heroin to someone, who died because of it, should be tried for murder and also be given the maximum sentence possible. Some killers use knives, others use a gun, but dealers of heroin use the poison they sell to take a life.
Police sources on both the federal and local levels have confirmed that, for years, much of these drugs have been pouring over the Mexican border into our country, pushed by the cartels. This being one of the many negative results of having lax border security under the Obama Administration. Everybody knows this whether they choose to admit it or not. The U.S. Border Patrol, thanks to the outcome of the 2016 presidential election has finally been given the ok to do its job like it should be done. With the backing of new Homeland Security leadership, there is a major effort by Border Patrol agents showing positive results in the effort to stop or, at the least, significantly slow down the flow of dangerous drugs coming in to the United States. The era of ‘catch and release’ has finally come to an end on our border, which makes it more difficult for criminals to come here and make our cities and towns less safe.
And this brings me to the topic of ‘Sanctuary Cities’. If criminal illegal aliens know there are places they can go and be safe from law enforcement it stands to reason that they will head directly to those places if they are able to slip over the border. When New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio says sanctuary cities protect us against terrorism and crime he shows himself to be the ideological nitwit that he was always suspected of being. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has given what is probably one of his final warnings to those sanctuary cities that the feds will cut off funding to any city that harbors illegals. Sessions intends to do everything he has to within his considerable authority to keep Americans safe, because that’s his job and hopefully he will be successful in his efforts.
It was a heart breaker to receive that call from my friend, who’s still in mourning at the loss of her nephew. We can only hope and pray that this all comes to a halt as soon as possible. These efforts of Attorney General Sessions and, yes, President Trump as well should be applauded, not demonized.
That saying “If even one life can be saved by the actions we take it will be worth the effort”. Well, if this long overdue crack down is successful and not hindered by certain officials pandering to the demands of the open borders crowd, there could be many thousands of lives that are saved. This is the minimum our country should be doing on behalf of the youth of America. No family should ever again have to grieve because we weren’t willing to do whatever it takes to put an end to this.
