Pubdate: Wed, 20 Mar 2002
Source: Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

TELL THE 'TRUTH' ON TERRORISM

Teen boys and girls stare directly at you from the TV screen and the 
newspaper page and tell what they did in a casual, matter-of-fact 
way: "I killed grandmas. I killed daughters. I killed firemen. I 
killed policemen. Technically, I didn't kill these people. I just 
kind of helped."

Then comes the blunt message: "Drug money helps support terror. Buy 
drugs and you could be supporting it, too."

This disturbing, shocking and controversial $10 million ad campaign 
comes from the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. Critics 
wrongly suggest the ads go too far. To the contrary, they "tell it 
like it is" and represent tax money well-spent.

Many people defend their addiction to cocaine, heroin or other 
illegal drugs as a "victimless crime." The ads put the lie to such 
dangerous self-delusion. A State Department study says 12 of 28 
terrorist groups also traffic in drugs. Osama bin Laden bragged about 
using U.S. hunger for illicit drugs to help fuel terrorist attacks 
and weaken our moral fiber.

The ads, an extension of the effective "Truth" anti-smoking campaign, 
have very desirable goals: Shake people, especially teens, awake from 
their ignorance and apathy about drug abuse. Educate them about the 
reality that drug abuse does help bankroll terrorists and their 
violent acts. Appeal to teens' better natures, urging them to become 
more socially responsible. And make them aware that their illegal 
actions can harm people they don't even know.

It's too early to really know the ads' long-term effectiveness, but 
the early signs are good. The Super Bowl commercials have already 
been awarded a top prize.

Researchers estimated 90 million viewers remembered them a few days 
later, and 71 percent of those surveyed called them helpful in 
fighting drug abuse.

Public support for the global war on terrorism is overwhelming. It's 
smart and justified to try to mobilize that support behind the 
directly associated war on drugs.

Critics remain unhappy, even using the inflammatory word "propaganda" 
to attack the ads. To which the government should proudly plead, 
"Guilty as charged." Webster's Dictionary defines the word propaganda 
neutrally as "the spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the 
purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person."

Propaganda is evil only if the ideas or information are false and 
designed to hurt the innocent. By contrast, the ads are good 
propaganda, accurate and designed to hurt the guilty.
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