ANTI-DRUG RALLY GETS ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE FROM STUDENTS

Educators in West Seattle may have discovered a new way to control
484 wildly cheering children: a burly federal agent wearing
camouflage and brandishing a bullhorn.

It was unclear who was having more fun, the kids or the cops, at the
culmination Thursday of several days of drug prevention programs at
the Holy Rosary School in West Seattle.

The three letter agencies were there: DEA, ICE, FBI. As children
wearing red sweaters and blue pants or tartan skirts lined 42nd
Avenue Southwest, agents in raid jackets, swat gear and even hazmat
suits slapped palms with the pumped up youngsters. Drug Enforcement
Administration Special Agent Jodie Underwood -- dressed in black and
packing her service revolver -- looked armed and dangerous until she
turned toward a bunch of 8-year-olds with a grin on her face and
asked: "Are you guys having fun?"

"Yeaaaaahhh," they yelled with unbridled enthusiasm.

DEA agent Matt Duran, bullhorn in hand, prepped the kids for the
cavalcade of cops to come. When Duran demanded quiet, you could've
heard a pin drop. And when he asked for a cheer, he got a deafening
scream.

But the cheers got even louder when a caravan, led by Seattle
motorcycle officers and including a tricked out DEA Hummer and
ominous black SUVs with flashing blue lights, rolled up and came to a
stop in front of the school. DEA Special Agent in Charge Arnold
Moorin climbed out of one vehicle and was shaking hands with a bunch
of second-graders when he said: "I'd like to do this once a week."

The pomp had purpose: to sensitize the students that when confronted
with whether to take drugs, they can say no.

For several days, as part of a nationwide drug-prevention outreach
program called Red Ribbon week, Holy Rosary children have been
drawing posters and writing essays with drug-prevention themes, said
principal Kris Brown.

The essays "talk about the importance of being drug free," said Brown
as her students headed toward the school parking lot to sit in the
DEA helicopter and pet Duke, the Seattle police drug dog. "They've
been so excited to learn about the work that (federal agencies do)
on the prevention of drugs."

Brown said her students also read the story of the 1985 kidnapping,
torture and murder in Mexico of DEA agent Enrique Camarena by drug
traffickers. Red Ribbon week was launched to memorialize Camarena by
raising awareness for drug prevention and early intervention.

In a program in the school gymnasium, the children heard from
Camarena's widow, Mika Camarena, who said: "You have to keep one
thing in mind -- choices are important. I am here to ask you to make
the right choices."

The children also heard from U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan who told
them that his job is to "ensure that the bad guys go to jail."
Sullivan led the youngsters in a brief but enthusiastic chant of
"Just say no."

Asked why the DEA had organized the event, Moorin said, "We
understand that you have to put prevention at the top of the list.
Enforcement is a huge part of what we do at the DEA. But would we
rather prevent it than enforce it? Absolutely."