WHO WILL TAKE THE LEAD?

Regarding "Drug crossroads," "Risky business" and "Stemming drug trade
frustrates Paterson" (Page A-1, July 17-19):

The series of articles was excellent. I wish the writers had been able
to explore more solutions for a few more days.

Each of the dealers was once some mother's little boy who should have
been raised in an atmosphere of protective innocence. Due to
circumstances beyond each boy's control, the environment he was raised
in poisoned his perception of the world and the possibilities it held
for him. In a few short years, a little boy who might have grown up to
be president begins to think that the only choices he has are gangs,
crime and drugs.

Drugs are not the problem, but a symptom of a total failure of
leadership in our social institutions: police, government, courts,
churches, local businesses, schools and private social institutions
such as Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Street-level dealing is not a long-term career choice. Not many people
get rich, stay rich and retire at 65 from a lifetime of drug dealing.
But with little or no encouragement and few opportunities, the lure of
quick, easy money seems like a magic short-term answer.

And the problem is clearly not confined to Paterson. As the articles
point out, a large portion of the customers come from outside the
community. Each arrest is the exclamation point on a failed life. Sad,
very sad indeed.

So if the problem is not the sole responsibility of Paterson, then the
answer will not come solely from Paterson. Who will lead us to a
solution? Who will call upon the politicians to stop the bickering,
the school leaders to stop the blaming, the businesses and residents
to stop being afraid and to get all of the players into one room to
hammer out a course of action to turn this around?

Who?

BOB TASCHLER

Waldwick