Pubdate: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 Source: Ogdensburg Journal, Advance News (NY) Copyright: 2001 St Lawrence County Newspapers Corp Address: P.O. Box 409, Ogdensburg, New York 13669 Website: http://www.ogd.com/ Author: Keith Shaver NOTE: Accepts LTEs by mail only - Must be signed w/phone# Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n468.a07.html DRUG ADDICTS To The Editor: It's apparent we do reap what we've sown. The chemical people of the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's are beginning to see the fruits of their labor. Ogdensburg now has drug addicts that have no respect for human life. We now have drug addicts that care more for drugs than human life. We now have drugies who can watch a murder take place an casually forget about it for months. At what point do these drugies become accessories to the murder? How many other drugies knew about the murder and kept their mouth shut? Ogdensburg has now seen the tainted evil side of drugs. Illegal drugs are drawing this country into the obyss; and if the drug lovers or advocates ever get their way we'll all get a chance to see hell on earth. Apparently we're not that far from there right now. In my lifetime I've seen my share of loss of lives; but this young man's death has to be one of the most useless loss of life, I've ever seen or heard of. The scary thing is this could of been anyone's child, in this city, who was killed. The drug lovers or advocates seem to be willing to accept 16.000 illegal drug deaths a year and I an using their numbers, mine are a lot higher than 16,000. I am not willing to accept this illegal drug death. This life was worth more to me than every drugie since beginning of time getting high. This murder should bring people back to reality at least the clean people. Illegal drugs are a distraction from life and a nuisance to all of us. We all pay a price for illegal drug use. Some of us pay more than others, but we all pay a price. I reiterate, illegal drugs must be kept illegal for all our sakes. I have no personal information having to do with this murder, only that which I have obtained through the media. But I must say the picture the media has drawn is a least very disturbing. This section is for the addicts in the area; do you know the other addicts you're getting high with? If you overdose, will they get you help or will they dump you somewhere to die? The best way to avoid this situation is clean up your act, and if you haven't tried drugs just say no, it may save your life. Remember the weak minded drugie that's trying to get you to use drugs wants company because misery loves company. The drugs he or she takes are nothing more than a crutch. In regards to Patty Adkins' letter to the editor March 18, 2001, what a breath of fresh air. Many of us are sick of the drug lovers or advocates letters to the editor. The drum beat is constant to legalizing marijuana. But they're wasting their time. The people who know the real deal about drugs aren't budging on this, and we never will. The part in your letter about your brother and all his drug addict friends, all starting their drug habits with that first marijuana joint, this is true of most addicts. They just keep craving something stronger. I hope for your sake and your family's sake your nieces and nephews have seen enough so they never try the garbage. It's time for the chemical people to take responsibility for their actions. This country operates on the old supply and demand method. If not for the consumer(you) we'd have no drug problem today. I think of all the money that's been wasted on illegal drugs, rehab, and the drug war for the last 40 years and it makes me sick. That money could have went to medical research, hospitals, schools and the poor. How many of the more horrific diseases would have been cured with that money? Instead of living in utopia we continue to be burdened by the drugies and the criminals who sell them their garbage. They extract a price from us all and our country. We've all lost a lot because of the distraction of illegal drugs. Keith Shaver Ogdensburg, New York - --- MAP posted-by: Beth