Pubdate: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2003 East Valley Tribune. Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Author: Kelley Kimble METH - A MONSTROUS SOCIAL PROBLEM So, prosecutors are using the Patriot Act to add teeth to the prosecution of pipe bombers and meth cooks. And this is a bad thing? People who make pipe bombs and manufacture methamphetamines are a threat to the safety and sanity of the country as a whole. I can't bring myself to feel sorry for them. Methamphetamine use is the least talked about problem in this valley. It is lurking behind much of the violence being reported in the media, yet nobody wants to acknowledge it. It's the elephant in the room; let's admit the magnitude of the problem and give law enforcement the tools to get these people off the streets and make it riskier for those who would engage in it. People who want to give up on the war on drugs have never had a kid strung out on this stuff, and people who manufacture and sell it should go to prison for a very long time. Unfortunately, they are turned loose to frequently and much too soon. Kelley Kimble Apachie Junction - --- MAP posted-by: Beth