DRUG WARRIORS NEED HELP

THE recent movie "Traffic" has served to once again reveal America's futile
attempt against the war on drugs.

Vietnam produced a confrontation in which we as a nation, due to certain
factors, were unable to come back as victors.

But that war was not fought on our own turf; this war on drugs is.

When one enlists in our armed forces, a soldier is quickly taught that on
the field of battle, you are to never leave or abandon your wounded comrade.

If the Army were to develop any other mode of operation, it wouldn't be
long before morale and -- most of all -- heart would also leave and abandon
our entire armed forces.

Why fight for a country with no heart -- unconcerned for its own soldiers?
That is why, as a former hard-core heroin addict, I am speaking out.

It is no wonder that our country is losing the so-called "war on drugs,"
and pretty much the same can be said regarding the "war on gangs."

America has long ago abandoned and left alone its very own citizens who
have come to entangle themselves in the web of drug addiction.

Yes, we do entangle ourselves of our own choice, but yet we see very few
soldiers trying to rescue us. America has unfortunately left many alone to die.

While you spend countless millions on issues that are not even close to
life-threatening, it matters little what occurs to the drug users.

That attitude of indifference is an issue of the heart. They seem to
squabble and engage in politicking over an issue that should be pretty cut
and dry. You either care or you don't.

Even now, when our new president is looking for solutions, even to
faith-based organizations, our true colors are being shown to the general
population and the rest of the world.

Listen: Drug addiction and the war on drugs is not partisan, it is
multipartisan. Had I not been set free from heroin and alcohol 27 years
ago, I might not be writing this plea of concern. Or perhaps I would have,
but from a prison cell, if I were still alive (which I doubt).

I am a pastor for a church and ministry called Victory Outreach in Hayward.

I have the opportunity to travel extensively, doing what I can to help
addicts, their families and anyone in need of spiritual help. Two years
ago, Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila, the Philippines, chose to fully fund and
support our Victory Outreach men's and women's drug treatment facilities in
his city of 12 million.

At the grand opening, he said he was not affected by any separation of
church and state, but by the results he saw that our faith-based program
was providing. He chose to attack the war on drugs in his city up close and
personal.

Drug treatment by a proven, successful program with more than 35 years'
experience of being in combat against the war on drugs. Now that's heart.

Atienza went on to mention that he would hope that other mayors in his
country and in other parts of the world would take notice.

He was trying to set a precedent for the world to follow.

Might we follow?

Maybe it is because a lot of us at Victory Outreach have been heavily
influenced by the perils of drugs that we daily confront. But as fellow
Americans, we want you to know that the heart has not totally gone out from
within our great country's battle for those lost in drugs and gangs.

We, along with others, have been your volunteer representatives in this
waging war against drugs. Personally, I hear the heart of this new
president, George "Burning" Bush.

As far as I'm concerned, we, along with a good number of our programs and
organizations, -- some faith-based, some not -- could always use more
reinforcements.

Steve Pineda lives in San Leandro.