PLAGUE OF ILLICIT DRUGS DEVASTATES INNER CITY

Isaac E. Randolph Jr.'s Jan. 15 column, "Keep on killing, but keep it
quiet," presented a compelling depiction of the indifference on the part of
our political and social leaders to the problem of drugs as the greatest
threat to inner-city neighborhoods.

While racism and racial profiling are a grave concern for African Americans
in general, the issue of drug dealing is a particular problem to an already
struggling people. Drugs and their dealers are scholars of the devil who
manage to escape the hand of the law long enough to rain terror in
neighborhoods and create hostile environments often leading to
black-on-black homicide.

Drug dealers have taken over the streets in many urban neighborhoods and
are prone to inflict bodily harm on a person for just looking at them. It
is the drug dealer, not police brutality which is causing havoc in the
inner city. It is the drug dealer, not racism, that is creating a climate
of hostility and sense of fear to walk the streets.

As a community of different denominations and faiths, we must come together
with a single voice to demand attention, assistance and effective means of
prevention from our law enforcement and community leaders to help rid these
pernicious drug dealers from our neighborhoods. I, like Randolph, will use
every opportunity I can to be an effective means of minimizing the grip the
drug dealers have on inner-city neighborhoods. This is a form of slavery
that African Americans can live without.

Kirth N. Roach

Indianapolis