Pubdate: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 Source: Daily Texan (TX Edu) Copyright: 2001 Daily Texan Contact: http://www.dailytexanonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/115 Author: Michael Taylor, Daily Texan Staff Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas) PROTESTERS CHALLENGE DRUG WAR IN TULIA RALLY Two Years After Sting Operation Sent 43 To Jail, Activists Say U.S. Drug Policy Must Change TULIA, Texas -- The nation's drug-policy debate was acted out on the streets of this Panhandle town Sunday when protesters held a rally to mark the two-year anniversary of a drug sting that sent 15 percent of Tulia's black population to jail. About 225 people gathered in a local park for the Never Again! Rally against what they claim is a failed drug war waged on the nation's poor minorities. They say the Tulia drug sting is emblematic of the nation's inept drug policy. On July 23, 1999, an 18-month sting operation launched by the Swisher County Sheriff's Department culminated in the arrests of 43 men and women 40 of them African American on drug charges. The individuals were convicted on evidence and testimony provided by Sheriff's Deputy Tom Coleman, who conducted the investigation alone and did not use surveillance equipment. About 250 of Tulia's 5,000 residents are African American. The Friends of Justice, a group made up of Tulia citizens who oppose the arrests, were joined by two busloads of people who traveled from Austin Saturday for the "Tulia Freedom Ride." Also at the rally were representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Amarillo chapter of the NAACP, which have been watching Tulia closely since the bust. "When the war comes to our community, we must stand and fight back," said Will Harrell, director of the Texas ACLU. "Tulia has become a symbol of what's wrong with our drug policy. It's got to be a collective effort, and every one of us counts." Tulia resident Billy Wafer, who was arrested and charged based on Coleman's testimony, was released after he was able to prove that he was at work during the incident Coleman described. Because his case raises serious doubts about Coleman's credibility, Wafer said he hopes a civil suit he has filed against Coleman, Swisher County and Sheriff Larry Stewart will help the other defendants. "I'm hoping it means that since we proved them wrong in my case and that he lied on the stand, that it will open up the other cases for review," Wafer said. Eleven of those arrested in Tulia were found guilty, and another 17 have accepted plea agreements. Civil rights groups say the drug sting led to convictions based on unsubstantiated evidence, including the uncorroborated testimony of the lone undercover agent whose questionable past was barred from discussion during the trials. They say no drugs, money or weapons were seized in the roundup, and there is no information to back up the undercover agent's word that he bought drugs from the accused. Wafer added that when he married a woman from Tulia, it looked like a good place to settle down. "I really thought Tulia was promising. We didn't see the racism that's going on now," he said. "It looked like a place that really would help you. But they showed me." Kathy Curry, also a Tulia resident and a member of The Friends of Justice, said the controversy surrounding the arrests divides her family and affects her relationships in the community. "They call us outside agitators," Curry said. "This is my hometown I left as a child and returned as an adult. All of my relatives are here. Not here, [at the rally], but here in the community." Curry added that there were relatively few of Tulia's white residents at the rally. Mayor Boyd W. Vaughn, who did not attend the rally, said he is tired of reading and hearing derogatory news reports about his town. "Newspapers, television, national media, have never given us a fair shake," Vaughn said. "They're trying to make news and they've made news out of Tulia, and there's not that much news here." District Attorney Terry McEachern, who prosecuted the cases in Tulia said he believes most of Tulia's residents support the actions of local law enforcement. "I think if you were to poll the people in Tulia, at least 98 percent support law enforcement and how the Tulia operation was handled and are well satisfied with their sheriff and satisfied with their law enforcement," McEachern said. McEachern added that there is still a drug problem in Tulia. "I think [the drug problem] will continue to be an issue in all towns in the United States as long as crack is around, and cocaine is around, and illegal substances are around," he said. "In my opinion, they will be around for a long time, but it doesn't mean you give up." The ACLU has filed a complaint of racial bias against Swisher County officials, and the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating. The group also filed an ethics complaint against McEachern with the Texas State Bar Association. Darlene Grant, associate professor of social work at the University, said she was on the Freedom Ride from Austin because the story of Tulia is about the issues that surround substance abuse, a subject she is conducting much of her research in. She said there are usually outside factors that contribute to an individual's substance abuse that can't be solved by jail terms. Tulia may need to address the issue of poverty among the drug users there, she said. "Nothing else has changed. They haven't figured out a way to create more jobs. They haven't figured out a way to get the children therapy for the upheaval that has been caused in their lives," she said. Brian Parrett, an applied learning and development senior, said he was on the bus because the rally in Tulia is a pivotal point in the drug war. "This incident right here is going to be a turning point in the fight against the drug war because it is such an injustice that it's going to wake people up to the fact that the drug war isn't solving the drug problem it's breaking families apart," Parrett said. The Freedom Ride also stopped at the J.B. Wheeler Unit Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility in Plainview for a brief protest to show solidarity with the prisoners, organizers said. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager