METH POSES A MENACE

We have all seen the evidence of how stupid, sad and piteous drug users can
be. It takes a serious lack of self-respect for drug users to abuse their
bodies with illegal substances.

But beyond the norm, some local drug users recently reached the pinnacle of
stupidity when they turned from doing damage to themselves to threatening
the community.

A person putting himself in danger is one thing, for we all make choices
that directly affect our lives. But when a person puts his neighbors at
risk, he makes his problems our problems.

That happened not too long ago in Austin when a meth operation caught fire,
injuring one person so severely that he later died and another person faces
charges in connection with the death. When abandoned meth labs are found in
rural areas of Mower County, it also poses a hazard to those who stumble
upon them or their discarded materials.

People who manufacture and use meth put entire communities at risk because
of the very nature of the drug and the chemicals needed to manufacture it.
When people set up meth labs in the middle of otherwise peaceful
neighborhoods, it is the equivalent of establishing a Third World chemical
plant and its associated dangers.

By extending drug manufacturing beyond themselves and by putting police and
average citizens in danger, these individuals show just how stupid they
are. Not only do they draw attention to themselves, but they threaten the
well-being of innocent people, guaranteeing a community response.

Drug manufacturers may not care if they endanger themselves or others, but
we care, and we know the community should not and will not stand for it.