ACTIONS NEEDED TO STOP DRUGS

Iwould like to praise your recent article on drug arrests made in the Olde
Forge subdivision ["Call to authorities leads to charges in Stafford," May 9].

I'm happy someone has no fear of a certain type in our society and prints
the truth, though you have hit only a small piece of the iceberg. As long
as it's not in their neighborhood, most of society out of the ring of drug
trafficking could care less.

This neighborhood can't support all the drug dealing and dealers alone. I
sit and watch all of the young people who come into this area and stay two
or three minutes and leave.

I watch all the cars that are from Florida, New York, and Washington that
come here and stay just about the same amount of time. I've lived in this
neighborhood for 16 years, and I have seen it all.

When will Stafford County do something about this? Are the people who run
this county so afraid of these people that they let it go by?

I would guess when it comes to the economics of the county they think this
is just. If they stop most of the drugs in this area, a whole lot of
businesses would have to close since drug money supports them.

I don't really care about the few stores that would close on U.S. 17. I
think that if the parents knew of the young people who are coming in here
from College Heights, Argyle Heights, Aquia Harbour, Clearview Heights, and
many of the other reputable neighborhoods, something would happen.

It looks to me that Stafford County supports drugs and drugs support it.
Why can't something be done? What's got the authorities' hands tied?
Someone should put a lot of thought into this matter. I'm just one, and it
will take many to turn this around.

I will move my four kids and wife from this area one day, but you can't
move a whole county. My motto is, get the drugs out of Olde Forge or get
Olde Forge out of the county.

Wilson Toombs

Stafford