tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315829010830777825.post9191447007478742690..comments2023-10-16T04:41:37.154-04:00Comments on Portal of Ideas: They Blame America FirstUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315829010830777825.post-11622823306475536912009-03-31T10:13:00.000-04:002009-03-31T10:13:00.000-04:00John,I live in NYC. I know the price this nation ...John,<BR/><BR/>I live in NYC. I know the price this nation is paying because of drugs. But I also know that all the treatments in the universe will no solve this problem.<BR/><BR/>My problem with those who blame America is that they seem to forget that the drug problem is international. Europeans use as much drugs as Americans do, and are rsponsible for the heroin trade from Afghanistan.<BR/><BR/>I would not have argued with Hillary's position if she said this as a citizen of the US. But as Secretary of State, her words carry a lot more weight, and she has to be careful. <BR/><BR/>By the way, I worked not far from a drug clinic in NY, and I saw people go get a fix of methadone, and walk to the corner and buy illicit drugs. Perhaps the time has arrived to seriouslty discuss legalization, and take away the profit motive.Mariohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15258464660597969964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315829010830777825.post-65856298630330079842009-03-26T11:33:00.000-04:002009-03-26T11:33:00.000-04:00No one is saying that if Americans stopped using d...No one is saying that if Americans stopped using drugs, the Mexican underworld would fade into oblivion. It's all about sharing the responsiblilty for what's going on right now, especially along our border.<BR/><BR/>It has been reported that the majority of marijuana, meth, cocaine, and heroin is smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico! And most of the violence is along the ports of entry, such as Laredo, El Paso, San Diego, etc.<BR/><BR/>The cartels fight over control of these valuable ports to 1)get their drugs into the U.S. and 2) to receive cash and weapons into Mexico. It's true that in the past mayhem and corruption has always been a part of Mexico. What is different now is that the Mexican government is tired of it and is trying to put a stop to it.<BR/><BR/>"They" (whoever "they" are) are not blaming America first. The President has talked about helping Mexico by fighting against the drug cartels. Hillary has not denounced that idea, but she has put thought into to just what is at the root of the problem. <BR/><BR/>She didn't just say we have an insatiable appetite for drugs, she also said we need more treatment programs in this country. If you think she is wrong about that, then maybe you have never lost a loved one because of drugs. Or maybe you have never been robbed or burglarized by a drug addict. I have been through all of this and this is the first time I've ever heard anyone in the government admit the truth--that we need more treatment programs. <BR/><BR/>Our existing treatment programs are full and understaffed. Their priority is on the court ordered treatment, which absorbs all their space and time. I've have witnessed a young pregnamt crack addict be turned away from a program, because she was clean at the time! She was told she has to have drugs in her system to be admitted. Our current programs have plenty of work already from the court system and guaranteed pay by the government. But if a person isn't arrested for another crime, they will find it difficult, if not impossible to receive the treatment needed. <BR/><BR/>I know you aren't a big fan of Hillary. I've read the "I told you so" post and others, and I agree and respect your opinion about that. But that doesn't make Hillary wrong about everything.<BR/><BR/>Nixon, Reagan, and even G.H.W. Bush realized we had a drug problem, but none of them did anything to get at the root of the problem. "Just say no" and DARE didn't work. Maybe now, after all these years, we can put a dent in this problem. It won't happen over night, but getting to the root of a problem is a good start.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05514919047169081546noreply@blogger.com