Pubdate: Thu, 16 Oct 2008
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Copyright: 2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Contact:  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/408
Author: Paul Shukovsky
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/red+ribbon+week

ANTI-DRUG RALLY GETS ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE FROM STUDENTS

Educators in West Seattle may have discovered a new way to control
484 wildly cheering children: a burly  federal agent wearing
camouflage and brandishing a  bullhorn.

It was unclear who was having more fun, the kids or the cops, at the
culmination Thursday of several days of  drug prevention programs at
the Holy Rosary School in  West Seattle.

The three letter agencies were there: DEA, ICE, FBI. As children
wearing red sweaters and blue pants or tartan  skirts lined 42nd
Avenue Southwest, agents in raid  jackets, swat gear and even hazmat
suits slapped palms  with the pumped up youngsters. Drug Enforcement 
Administration Special Agent Jodie Underwood -- dressed  in black and
packing her service revolver -- looked  armed and dangerous until she
turned toward a bunch of  8-year-olds with a grin on her face and
asked: "Are you  guys having fun?"

"Yeaaaaahhh," they yelled with unbridled enthusiasm.

DEA agent Matt Duran, bullhorn in hand, prepped the kids for the
cavalcade of cops to come. When Duran  demanded quiet, you could've
heard a pin drop. And when  he asked for a cheer, he got a deafening
scream.

But the cheers got even louder when a caravan, led by Seattle
motorcycle officers and including a tricked out  DEA Hummer and
ominous black SUVs with flashing blue  lights, rolled up and came to a
stop in front of the  school. DEA Special Agent in Charge Arnold
Moorin  climbed out of one vehicle and was shaking hands with a  bunch
of second-graders when he said: "I'd like to do  this once a week."

The pomp had purpose: to sensitize the students that when confronted
with whether to take drugs, they can  say no.

For several days, as part of a nationwide  drug-prevention outreach
program called Red Ribbon  week, Holy Rosary children have been
drawing posters  and writing essays with drug-prevention themes, said 
principal Kris Brown.

The essays "talk about the importance of being drug  free," said Brown
as her students headed toward the  school parking lot to sit in the
DEA helicopter and pet  Duke, the Seattle police drug dog. "They've
been so  excited to learn about the work that (federal agencies  do)
on the prevention of drugs."

Brown said her students also read the story of the 1985 kidnapping,
torture and murder in Mexico of DEA agent  Enrique Camarena by drug
traffickers. Red Ribbon week  was launched to memorialize Camarena by
raising  awareness for drug prevention and early intervention.

In a program in the school gymnasium, the children heard from
Camarena's widow, Mika Camarena, who said:  "You have to keep one
thing in mind -- choices are  important. I am here to ask you to make
the right  choices."

The children also heard from U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan who told
them that his job is to "ensure that  the bad guys go to jail."
Sullivan led the youngsters  in a brief but enthusiastic chant of
"Just say no."

Asked why the DEA had organized the event, Moorin said,  "We
understand that you have to put prevention at the top of the list.
Enforcement is a huge part of what we  do at the DEA. But would we
rather prevent it than  enforce it? Absolutely."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin