Pubdate: Wed, 24 Aug 2005
Source: Osoyoos Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Osoyoos Times
Contact:  http://www.osoyoostimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3873

TACKLING THE THORNY ISSUE OF ILLEGAL DRUG SALES IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD

Our hats are off to the local RCMP and to the residents of Harbour Key Drive.

Residents on that street banded together, and then worked hand in hand with 
RCMP to tackle the thorny issue of a drug house in their neighbourhood.

While judging the success of this latest move may be hard to do, its true 
success is simply in the action that was taken.

Instead of just standing by and allowing the blatent selling of drugs in 
their neighbourhood, this group of people had the fortitude to stand up 
against it. It is not only admirable, it is courageous.

The harsh reality is that with the amount of money involved in illegal 
drugs, it is not surprising that it is so prevelant. Most of us feel 
helpless to what seems to be an onslaught of drug-related violence in our 
small communities.

That feeling of helplessness leads to an apathy which ultimately only leads 
to an ever increasing problem.

A weak court system has added to our frustrations and caused a basic 
inability for police, by itself, to deal with the issues surrounding 
illegal drugs.

But what this group of people has shown through their actions is that they 
are not prepared to accept the status quo. And that should be how their 
success is judged.

Hopefully their actions will cause another neighbourhood to do the same 
thing. And so on from there. After all these are our neighbourhoods where 
we live and raise our children. We have a right to be free of this type of 
activity.

But what is abundantly clear here is that unless we are prepared to take 
action, very little will be done, and that is why this latest move by these 
residents is so important.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman