Pubdate: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 Source: Garden Island (HI) Copyright: 2003 Kauai Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.kauaiworld.com/kauai/letterstoeditor.nsf/webletter?openform Website: http://kauaiworld.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964 Author: Stephen L. Thompson Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n243/a08.html COVERAGE LACKING I was disappointed in the news coverage of the recent "Crisis on Drugs" meeting in Kilauea (Tues., April 1, 2003) The writer did a good job summarizing the comments made by panel participants but that was only half the meeting. Each panel participant was given ten minutes to speak. Their speeches covered only about half of the four hour meeting. I wonder if the reporter left the meeting early. What was missing in the report were the concerns of the community: their fears of reporting criminal activity, their lack of trust in whom to go to with information and frustration with present laws. What was also missing in the report was the great job done by Mel Rapoza in facilitating the meeting and by the representatives from the KPD who fielded some difficult questions and helped to keep civility with a volatile issue. If we are to make progress against the crisis on drugs then we need to report openly and completely. A quote from the article bears repeating: "'The shame is going out the window' once people start opening up and acknowledging the issues." Let's have that in all aspects of this community crisis. Stephen L. Thompson Princeville - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk