WE HAVE A PROBLEM

The recent round up of well over 100 suspects on various drug charges
should be a wake up call to the people of Franklin County.

Last week, authorities fanned out across the area and began to arrest
those who allegedly were involved in the drug trade following a
yearlong undercover investigation. As a result, the picture that folks
around the rest of the state received when they turned on their TV
sets was the massive drug problem that our rural county has. It's
embarrassing to have to claim that Franklin County has the worst
problem with methamphetamine production in the state of Tennessee, but
we do. What is worse is that many parents were distressed to learn
that two of the people arrested were employees of the Franklin County
Board of Education. Another that was charged had already been
dismissed by the school system. However, the facts that these suspects
were allegedly so close to kids have alarmed many parents and
officials. And they should be alarmed. It's no secret that this county
has a major problem with the production of meth, a quick glance at any
edition of this publication from the past year will confirm that. Now
many are looking at stiffening penalties for cooking up the vile
poison.

During this week's Winchester City council meeting, Mayor
Richard Stewart related a disturbing story of one police officer
saying to another that one of the offenders picked up for the sale of
meth would receive greater punishment for his driver's license being
expired than for selling drugs. "There is nothing right about that at
all." Stewart said. Indeed it isn't. Stewart went on to ask that the
council draw up a resolution to be sent to the state legislature
asking them for a Zero Tolerance law against drugs. That action would
be a good beginning if the measure made it through the state
legislature. In fact, there have been quite a few things done locally
to try to stop the production of meth. Undercover operations like the
one just completed will no doubt make people think twice about doing
this kind of business in Franklin County. Storeowners are being asked
to keep a sharp eye out as to who might be buying large amounts of the
stuff used to make the drug. Officials are also planning a town
meeting entitled, "Meth and the Effect on Children" to be held at
First Baptist Church in Winchester on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. This
town meeting is an opportunity for the public at large to get
involved. But there is more that can be done. Implementing harsher
sentences against the ones found guilty and setting higher bond for
suspects would be a good start. The justice system is too often seen
as a revolving door where meth makers are bailed out within hours of
their arrest, only to start cooking again. If users and dealers were
to see that folks are serious about eradicating the meth problem, if
the price for getting caught was too high for them to think about
doing it again, we could see a drop in the drug dilemma in Franklin
County. It seems to us that the only way to take care of the problem
is to get the drug dealers out of circulation the first time and stop
giving them a slap on the wrist.

Until that is done, we have a problem.