Pubdate: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 Source: Chillicothe Gazette (OH) Copyright: 2006 Chillicothe Gazette Contact: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2749 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) ALL OF US MUST ENLIST IN THE WAR ON DRUGS Ever seen a drug deal go down? Chances are, in this day and age and even in our fair town, you have. You may not have known exactly what you were seeing, but you saw someone selling dope. If your kids are of school age, they've seen dope deals go down, most likely. The big question is: Did you report it? Probably not. You didn't want to get involved. Hey, it's understandable. People are crazy these days, you never know what someone will do. But if you don't step forward, who will? If those of us who see the drug dealers dealing out of their cars or in their homes remain silent, saying nothing to law enforcement, should we be surprised when our safety is endangered? Because that's what it's come to. Drug dealers are dangerous. People who do drugs are sick, but those who feed on the weaknesses of others are predators and deserve to have the boot of the law kick in their door. Drugs are a problem in our area. Be it marijuana or crack cocaine, or even prescription drug abuse, it's all a blight on our well-being. We here in the Scioto Valley can think we're safe because we're not in an inner city, but the wolf is just around the corner. Drugs destroy families. Drugs kill dreams. Nobody's grows up thinking: "I want to be a drug dealer" or "I want to be addicted to dope." Drugs take away everything you ever thought you could be, and so much more. That's why it's important for residents of Ross and Pike counties to help out law enforcement as much as possible. If you see possible drug activity, call the sheriff, police department or the U.S. 23 Major Crimes Task Force. If we don't care enough about our neighborhoods to step forward and stomp out drugs, who will? - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake