Pubdate: Tue, 21 Aug 2001
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2001 The Sun-Times Co.
Contact:  http://www.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81
Author: Mary Mitchell
Note: Mary Mitchell appears regularly on "Fox News in the Morning," 7-9 a.m.
on WFLD-Channel 32.

GIVING UP DRUG BATTLE MAY HELP WIN THE WAR

Reading some of the correspondence that awaited me on Monday was like 
receiving mail from a war zone. One heart-wrenching plea was from someone 
who identified herself as a relative of Khristan Bracy, 20, one of the 
three people killed early Saturday in Morgan Park, execution-style.

Also murdered were Nadia James, 22, and Terrell Hall, 23. The crime was 
drug-related, and victims had police records, according to a spokesman with 
the Chicago Police Department. One of the murdered women was nine months 
pregnant.

"There is a lesson for all young people to learn," said Sandra Gates, who 
claimed to be Bracy's cousin. "Khristan was killed over drugs. The 
murderers killed a young woman that was 9 months pregnant. Is life that 
meaningless?"

Another was from the mother of two daughters who knew Hall.

"I have a problem, as a mother, comprehending how people let their 
daughter's boyfriends live in their homes, and they know that they deal 
drugs," the mother said.

"Anyone who knows who did this is just as responsible for the murders," she 
said. "I"m almost starting to think like my husband. Maybe they should 
legalize drugs. The people that are going to be drug addicts are going to 
be drug addicts no matter what. I am just so sick and tired of hearing 
about drug murders."

Jim Gierach, the anti-drug war crusader who can't get anyone with political 
clout to listen to him, understands the frustration these women expressed. 
I also had a piece from him, complaining about the media's lack of interest 
in this issue.

Gierach managed to get a group of black ministers to march with him in this 
year's Bud Billiken parade. He had hoped the "Ministers Against the Drug 
War" float would make the televised portion of the parade and spark debate 
on the issue.

A lawyer, Gierach has been single-minded about reforming drug policy. He 
ran in the Democratic primary election for governor in 1994 on the drug 
policy reform issue. Even though Gierach has had a difficult time getting 
political and civil rights leaders to pick up the ball, he never tires of 
trying to pass it to them.

"My hopes are always so high. I always figure that this is an inning that I 
am going to win," Gierach said. "It always falls short. We worked 
desperately to get in the front end of the parade, and we ended up beyond 
the televised time.

"I had hoped that I would have some of the major papers take a picture. I 
wanted viewers to see that ministers who teach good from evil, who care 
about our children are saying let's end the drug war-- not because they are 
for drugs, but because they care about our kids."

Although I agree that there should be a national dialogue on the failed 
drug policy, I'm not entirely convinced that decriminalization of drugs 
would be enough to stop young people from killing other young people.

We live in a violent society. A day rarely passes that some human being has 
not committed a horrendous act against another. Selfish and uncivil 
behavior, coupled with the availability of illegal handguns, has put many 
more of us in danger.

Chicago Patrol Officer Eric D. Lee was shot to death when he tried to stop 
three men from beating another man in an alley. He was the second police 
officer to die in the line of duty in less than two months. Brian T. 
Strouse, a six-year veteran, was killed June 30 after being shot in an 
alley in the Pilsen neighborhood.

Too often, innocent children become the victims of uncaring adults.

Last weekend, a 23-year-old mother was accused of drowning her 4-year- old 
daughter because the child was too burdensome. Earlier that week, 
19-year-old Allen Neal was charged with first-degree murder in the killing 
of 10-year-old Stevie Perry. Neal is accused of killing Perry, a distant 
cousin, when he shot at two men during a dispute over a dice game.

The root of this kind of violence is a lot harder to dig up. The mayhem 
surrounding the drug trade is easier to figure out, since drug dealers will 
kill over turf and unpaid debts. The reasoning is that if government takes 
the profit out of the drug trade, the violence will be dramatically reduced.

"Certainly, the drug war is not the only reason kids are killing each other 
or the only reason for the violence," Gierach conceded. "But it is a 
significant portion, and we get nothing good in return for the drug war."

Gierach's chant to "Stop the Drug War" was not televised as he had hoped. 
But he shouldn't be disappointed. The message is getting out nonetheless. 
Families are more willing to talk about substance abuse, to seek help, and 
to turn in family members who have committed crimes related to drug 
trafficking.

That is a start.

People are weary of war stories.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart