NO SYMPATHY FOR DRUG LORDS

I was very disappointed that the Herald-Leader articles portray David
Perkins and his co-dealers as poor, down-and-out people who had to
sell drugs to live.

The picture of Perkins and his baby on his last night at home and the
description of Perkins' long, sad drive to Manchester to do his seven
years should never have been printed.

I saw no remorse for what Perkins and the others have done. What I
have seen is the hundreds of children put into foster care because
their parents are doing drugs. I have seen babies addicted to cocaine
and other drugs because their mothers took drugs while they were
pregnant. I have seen the weekly court docket of crimes committed
because of drugs. And what about the 6.8 percent of our children
between the ages of 10 to 18 who have used or are using cocaine and an
even higher percentage for other drugs?

Saddest of all are the funerals -- suicides, drug overdoses, shootings
and innocent men, women and children killed in car accidents because
someone was driving under the influence.

Just ask the victims' families what they think. These drug lords
should be held not only responsible but also liable for their actions.
Instead of a few months to seven years, they should be looking at 25
to life.

In McCreary County, we are ashamed, disgusted and angry about the drug
problems. But a lot of good citizens, local and state agencies, the
school systems and churches are working very hard to rid our county of
drug problems. Articles like those in the Herald-Leader don't help.
There are no innocent or good drug dealers.