Pubdate: Wed, 19 Mar 2008
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2008 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: Carl Mumpower

DRUG WAR OFTEN NEGLECTED FOR LIGHTER CONCERNS

North Carolina legislators have created a perfect storm of 
dysfunction with persisting lip service to our state's hard drug 
problems. By gutting the mental health system, underfunding a 
dysfunctional judicial system and chasing social symptoms versus core 
harms, they have secured an embedded drug culture that touches us 
all. A drug kingpin with the power to design a system of corruption 
could do no better.

Across our porous borders, Mexican drug cartels are killing the heart 
of their culture and have begun to bribe and intimidate their way 
into ours. The horrific number of drug murders in that country and 
the brutal killing of a UNC Chapel Hill student originate from the 
same drug-thug cultural model funded by addicts, lawlessness and 
indifference. Open-air drug markets are recruiting stations for new 
dealers, users and supporters and should not be tolerated in 
Asheville or anywhere else. Few meetings of our City Council do not 
provide opportunity to vote against government-funded butterfly 
exhibits, regulation of pumpkin sales and other such nonsense taking 
time and money away from the real fight -- protecting our children, 
neighborhoods and culture from social poison that goes for the heart 
of everything.

Carl Mumpower, Asheville City Council
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom