Pubdate: Wed, 11 May 2005
Source: Pipestone Flyer (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005, Pipestone Publishing, Millet, Alberta
Contact:  http://www.pipestoneflyer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3736
Author: Ted Okkerse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

PROBABLY THE LAST TIME I MENTION DRUGS

When I started this paper back in 1997, I had no idea that I would someday 
have a paper that has a circulation of almost eleven thousand papers.

We started putting the paper on the internet about three years ago. In the 
first year about 25,000 visitors logged onto the site. to this date, 
1,300,000 have perused our pages online.

If you ask 1.3 million people their opinion on any particular subject, you 
will no doubt receive about 1.3 million varying opinions. The one thing 
that is really great about Canada is the fact that at this particular point 
in history anyway, we are still allowed to express our opinions in a public 
forum such as a newspaper.

Part of my job as editor, is to put my opinion on any particular subject 
out to the public. It doesn't need to be factual or popular, it just needs 
to be my opinion. Sometimes controversial subjects will draw fire from the 
reading public. This kind of back and forth banter is good and does no harm 
to anyone. When an honest exchange of ideas takes place, growth can happen. 
Even an opinionated character like myself has been known to change their 
mind on a subject now and then. However that can only happen when each 
person in the argument lays their cards honestly on the table and both 
parties examine the evidence presented in an open way. In this true 
exchange of ideas, there is no room for abusive comments or ridicule. In 
that kind of atmosphere, no growth can take place.

I know that Christianity and moral standards seem to be falling by the 
wayside, however for me, the Bible plays an important part in all I do and 
believe in. Whenever I am in doubt about whether something is right or 
wrong, I check to see if it is covered somewhere in the pages of the Bible, 
and it always is.

I always endeavor to put a bit of morality and spiritual undertone into 
everything I write. I have been attacked several times for my stand on the 
so called "Gay Rights" issue and more recently by those who believe that 
drugs of various kinds should be made readily available to the general 
public, as long as the quality, pricing and production of same is 
controlled by government.

This of course is the same government that mismanages public funds on a 
regular basis, wastes billions of tax dollars on useless programs to 
appease almost invisible or perceived minorities.

I have had some response from those who refer back to the turn of the 
century when pharmacies controlled drugs and because of this there were no 
criminal elements involved in the distribution of same. While I am sure 
this was true and good then, this in not 1914, this is 2005, the drugs and 
the populace have evolved considerably. As one gentleman pointed out, there 
were addicts, but this did not pose a problem back then. Would making drugs 
legal remove the criminal element? I believe it would to some extent. Would 
this help our children in any way? I don't believe it would. Drugs are 
addictive, if the addict could not obtain enough to sustain their habit 
legally, then they would obtain them by other means. Government control has 
a bad track record when it comes to controlling or helping addicts, Ie: 
gambling addictions, cigarettes, alcohol etc. They are cash cows for 
government coffers and little is done to control anything.

That's just my opinion

I will continue to give you my opinion and I will continue to publish 
yours, however if you write in an abusive or demeaning manner, I will not. 
Also we need names and addresses even if we do not publish them.

Send those opinions in, keep them clean and don't be abusive, because as 
editor, I have the right, "to print, or not to print, there is no question".

Ted Okkerse
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom