DEA EXHIBIT BRINGS IT ON HOME TO THE DRUG WAR IN TAMPA

It's a start.

The first step in eradicating a problem is to understand the problem.

And the DEA has done a bang up job with a traveling exhibit entitled, "Target America, Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause."

The exhibit was created by the DEA  in 2002 for their museum and visitor's center in Arlington, VA where it stayed for one year.

Since 2003, the exhibit has traveled to, New York, Washington, DC, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Omaha and Dallas, where, it has been sponsored by a consortium of political, professional, medical, law enforcement, government, sports, educational and municipal agencies and individuals.

And, now, since September 16, 2011, the exhibit is in Tampa, Florida at the renowned MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) and will remain until September 3, 2012.

If you are in Tampa.  See the exhibit.  And brace yourself.

It's there. All of it.  The indisputable and painful truth of the damage caused by the production, transport, sale and ingestion of illegal drugs.

Much of the damage is 'collateral damage' i.e. damage and or death suffered by millions of innocent victims of the consequences of the behemoth industry devoted to the production and sale and transport of illegal drugs. 

And the exhibit clearly demonstrates the damage caused by the ingestion of illegal  drugs.  Kind of a "This is your brain - this is your brain on drugs"  thing, but featured in a way which will turn your stomach when you see the actual damage done to the brain and body -and the horrors of withdrawal and inability to some addicts to really kick a habit.

See the exhibit.  And take the children to see this exhibit.  They need to see for themselves what awaits them when, inevitably, they are invited into the fray of the war on drugs.

For time and tickets:  http://www.mosi.org/

THE WAR ON DRUGS REDUX

So, what exactly is this 'war on drugs?'

The term itself is little more than an abstraction.

But the staggering collateral damage of this abstraction - this military metaphor for stamping out the thriving business in the sale, import and export of illegal drugs - is  visible throughout this nation.

This collateral damage has invaded every social, cultural, economic and ethnic strata in this nation.

This collateral damage is visible in every shattered family,  every ruined life, every heartbreaking death, every missed promise of a life's dream unfilfilled, which has been consumed by the fires of addiction.

And one need only to leave- or maybe enter - their own front door to visit the front lines of this 'war on drugs,' to witness this collateral damage.

Big city, small town, rural hamlet, have all been savaged by this thriving business of importing, exporting and selling illegal drugs.

President Richard Nixon was the first to use the term 'War On Drugs' when he officially declared  illeagal drug abuse to be "public enemy number one. in June of 1971.

And in July of 1073President Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration to coordinate the efforts of all other government agencies to interdict and destroy drugs, here in the U.S. and all over the world.

And every President of The United States since President Nixon has wrestled with this abstraction, this enigma, this blight on this nation, this 'war on drugs.'

So, here we are, decades later, and we're still fighting the' war on drugs.'

And it is still an abstraction; still an enigma, this blight on our nation, this 'war on drugs.'

A war without borders.  A war with no defined rules of engagement. 

And, as in every war ever fought, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know, where is sanity, and where is insanity?

We are at critical mass with the use and abuse of illegal and prescription drugs in this nation.

"Just say no",  just going isn't going to do it.

Maybe it is time for a look at the 'war on drugs redux.'

Time to lock and load, and put together a new mission statement.

And find a way to combat the stupefying damage done to our people in a way that reflects the realpolitik of the situation we are facing rather than  ideological notions or moralistic or ethical premises.

Then, maybe we can find a way to just....get 'er done.