HANRAHAN GRIPES WHILE OTHERS COMBAT DRUG CRIMES

I am writing in response to Clare Hanrahan's nonsensical commentary of
April 6 ["Failed Drug War Won't Protect Our Children].

First, the drug war has not failed. The object of the drug war is not
to eliminate all illegal drugs and drug use. (However, we would if we
could.)

I certainly doubt the veracity of the statement of the writer that
drug abuse is more prevalent in the condominiums of Asheville than in
public housing. Regardless, the parking lots of the condominiums are
not "open air" drug markets as they are in public-housing communities,
and that endanger the children that use the same area for a
playground. Ms. Hanrahan says there is little drug-related crime in
public housing. Tell that to the parents of Pisgah View who need to
scurry around and get their children inside while about eight gunshots
rang out in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, April 5. Shots
rang out the following morning at 2 a.m. This is crime at its worst.
(And it is not unusual.)

The writer should be ashamed for trying to agitate by trying to make
our city's efforts to control drugs into a racial issue. I think that
is a wicked thing to try to do.

The ignorance of the writer continues as she refers to taser guns as
"deadly." I am sure that more people die of paint-ball shots than
tasers. Neither is intended to cause severe injury. Every officer that
is certified to use a taser is required to "take a hit" with a taser
themselves in order to complete his or her training and certification.
Doesn't that tell you anything?

It makes no more sense to question a public official that "procures a
drug" as a matter of his/her research on the issue than it does to
question a plain clothes officer "procuring a drug" in a sting
operation. We need to support our public officials (especially Council
members Ms. Terry Bellamy and Dr. Carl Mumpower for their dedication
to the control of this problem). We also need to encourage our law
enforcement officers for the effort that they are making. We don't
need mealy-mouthed griping from poorly informed rebel rousers, at this
point.

Ivor Thomas

Asheville