Stoned in Seattle

Fellow Americans,

As Sheriff Buford T. Justice said in Smokey and the Bandit, “What the hell is the world coming to?” He was referring to another sheriff. I am referring to an article at The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com). As crazy as it sounds, Seattle, Washington approved “safe sites”, where drug addicts can “safely” use illegal drugs like heroin. Because the Seattle government is worried about overdoses and the spread of communicable diseases like HIV and hepatitis C, they will now furnish drug users clean needles, medical supervision, and access to medication that reverses the effects of an overdose! According to the article, since drug overdoses kill more people each year than car crashes, something had to be done. Seattle Health Officer Jeff Duchin said, “The real goal is not to open a day spa where people can come in and have a good time and use drugs, but to engage them in treatment. They inject in a place where there’s a health-care worker who can save their lives if they overdose.” Well, no one can say that Mr. Duchin doesn’t care about drug addicts! Can you guess where the money will come from to pay for all these expenses? That’s right; the good old hard-working, honest, taxpayer!

I have a better idea to help addicts kick the habit and regain their self-respect. It’s called PRISON! I realize drugs get into “secure” facilities like jails and prisons, but at least everyone knows they are illegal and there are penalties for violations. Instead of promoting illegal drug use, why doesn’t Seattle adopt a “zero tolerance” drug policy, where code enforcement officers and the police target derelict structures for illegal activity? Possible reasons include a lack of funding or a shortage of bed space at correctional facilities. If taxpayer dollars are being spent to subsidize “safe sites”, then those same dollars could be spent on increasing bed space at the jail!

By sponsoring illegal drug use, Seattle is clearly giving the Department of Justice the middle finger. Stay tuned to see how this plays out in the days to come. Sadly, taxpayers will continue to subsidize these dopers until sanity returns to Seattle, if it ever does.

Please pray for all addicts; that they will seek the help they need to break the chain of dependency. May God bless you and the United States of America!

Dan Landi

Kidder, MO