METH DEALERS MUST BE DEALT STIFF PUNISHMENTS

Drug addiction has ripped apart families in this great nation, and families
right here in Middle Tennessee, like few adversaries. In Warren County and
surrounding communities, meth is the drug that's now destroying lives with
astounding frequency. It's the addiction of meth which is causing people to
rob stores, abandon their children and lose their jobs. Meth has an
overpowering lure which seizes users and often doesn't give them a chance
to walk away.

That's why law officers should be commended for their work in Wednesday
morning's roundup of suspected drug traffickers. It's a roundup aimed
squarely at the heart of the drug trade not only in Warren County, but
throughout Southern Tennessee.

Federal drug charges were leveled against more than 100 people who live in
18 different Tennessee counties. While drug offenders were being booked and
fingerprinted at Warren County Administrative Offices Wednesday, over a
dozen more were being charged in Putnam County. Figures show around 60 more
were also arrested in Wilson County.

This is news Tennessee residents can greet at the front door with open
arms. If these people are convicted in court for selling or manufacturing
meth, they need to find the sobering reality of a prison cell.

What's continually been a problem in the past is these criminals typically
serve three or four months in the county jail, then are released right back
on the street to make more drugs and distribute more poison. A short jail
stay does little to promote the long-term vision of a meth-free and
drug-free society.

What allows Wednesday's roundup to give the local drug trade a real kick in
the teeth is the fact these suspects have been hand selected to be
prosecuted at the federal level. It means their days of serving a 120-day
jail sentence have been tossed out the window. These alleged criminals are
now staring down the barrel of minimum five-year prison sentences, with
most standing to serve a good percentage of their lives in a federal prison.

Another reason for optimism is the widespread area blanketed by the
roundup. By arresting suspects in 18 different counties, authorities have
their sights set on crippling the drug trafficking network. By nabbing
enough major players over a large enough area, the production and
distribution of meth will be hampered.

This means there will be less meth on Warren County streets. It means there
will be less of an opportunity for meth to fall into the hands of Warren
County children.

And that is the ultimate goal as law enforcement officers try to choke out
the local drug trade - to give children a fighting chance at life. This is
something which can't be accomplished if our children are more concerned
with finding meth than they are with studying for a test.

With years in prison to think about their crimes, drug traffickers will
realize they are not wanted and will not be tolerated in this society.