I hesitate posting on these types of topics (especially in the Yard) since controversy is not really something I need more of in my life, but this topic hits home with me so...

In 2002 my brother was shot in the back of the head with a stolen .357 by a meth addict who was a felon. My brother was a meth addict and was wrapped up in the meth underworld amazingly enough at the age of 18. He became addicted at the age of 14 so he told me one night after OD’ing in the emergency room. The police ended up ruling the incident a suicide and dismissing the entire situation. This is a whole different story I will not bore you with. I have pondered for many a night about where to place the blame, it always ends up square on him.

I became involved with the people on the scene and eventually got information from those that were there and word from “the street” that he was indeed shot by another person and with some pressure a name was dropped. This person ended up hanging himself several months later. My feelings towards the hanging are probably left best with me. The destruction and devastation that this particular drug causes is unbelievable. I will leave out the drama that transpired between me and his "friends", but suffice it to say that the damage and crime that trickles down to society as a result of addiction is overwhelming.

My own situation boiled down to me having to tell my brother or any of his “friends” (most of whom were either small time dealers, fraud specialists, gang members and or felons) that if they came around my house or any of my family members there would be severe consequences. This was a sad day in my life, but my own wife, kids and parents took precedence over my own brother since at some point in his addiction, I viewed him as essentially fubar. My family had exhausted every possible means of assistance. My father ended up taking the brunt of the dealing with my brother and his cohorts. Fortunately, he is a tough man who was able to deal with the violence that came his way with some help from me and other good people, law enforcement and the like.

Our current “war on drugs" is obviously not working. The drug problem at least in the U.S. as I see it is a multi-faceted problem that requires a muiti-pronged approach to solve. To throw money at interdiction, law enforcement and treatment individually with very little coordination between the entities that carry out these activities is fruitless at best. A coordinated approach is needed to solve this complex problem.

The power and money that comes from the fact that drugs are illegal is the fuel that feeds the fire for these vermin, and I unfortunately must include my brother in this bucket once he was a true addict, is far too great. The legalization of drugs is something that my dad and I argue about to this day and I am not sure what the right answer is, but I do know that our current system ineffective.

The idea that one can escape to the suburbs and escape the drug problem is long gone. The idea that addiction is something that should not be discussed because of embarrassment with one’s family is unproductive. The idea that we can beat the drug problem in to submission with brute force is wrong. The idea that treatment is the panacea is wrong. Addicts can only be treated if they want to be treated. I can only hope that the someday the masses will be concerned as much about the drug problem and potential solutions in this country as they are about Britney Spears.

The next chapter in my ramblings gets a bit more controversial than I am in the mood for right now, so I will leave it here.