BONGS OR BOMBS? WHICH HOLDS TOP U.S. PRIORITY?

Early last week, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced a new operation
in the war on drugs, code-named "Operation Pipe Dreams."

This new development led to the arrest of 55 individuals, nationwide,
indicted on charges of trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia.

Ashcroft says this new operation is a huge step in cracking down on the war
on drugs, but he couldn't be more wrong.

Those commercials are one thing, but, ladies and gentlemen, this is getting
very out of hand. I am terrified that we are in for some big trouble in the
near future, if this is where our government's priorities lie during this
"age of terror."

We're in for BIG trouble.

Up until last week, it was legal in this country to sell drug
paraphernalia, specifically glass pipes and bongs, and even own them, as
long as the items do not contain any sort of drug residue or have evidence
of being used to intake any illicit substance.

Many people have built a living about this artisan trade, sometimes blowing
all their own glass and devoting years into mastering this craft.

Others purchased these items through companies or individual glass blowers
and sold them, whether over the Internet or in a store, to make a living.

People relied on this profession to put food on the table for themselves
and their children.

Although it is by no means a prestigious or sophisticated way to make a
living, it was a way for some people to survive.

Now these people face up to three years in jail and $250,000 in fines.
Ashcroft, in his infinite wisdom, decided that this trade was a major
factor in our country's "drug problem."

He defended "Operation Pipe Dreams" by saying, "with the advent of the
Internet, the illegal drug paraphernalia industry has exploded.

The drug paraphernalia business is now accessible in anyone's home with a
computer and internet access.

Quite simply, the illegal drug paraphernalia business has invaded the homes
of families across the country without their knowledge.

This illegal billion dollar industry will no longer be ignored by law
enforcement."

This is absolutely ridiculous. How could drug paraphernalia distribution
over the Internet be such a problem?

If young children are shopping around these web sites, it is their parents,
not the government, who need to step in and monitor their children's
Internet use, like they would for websites which portray graphic violence,
nudity and sex.

And what kind of parents would not notice when their children are ordering
bongs over the Internet with some kind of credit card (which probably
belongs to the parents) and then having them mailed to the house?

The drug paraphernalia business is not invading anyone's home without their
knowledge. If it is, then there are probably other problems in that home as
well.

The people held accountable here should be the lousy parents, not people
trying to make a living off selling glass. But the real issue here is that
this is even an issue at all.

What about terrorism? What about the impending war with Iraq?

At this tumultuous time in our nation, are bongs really a serious problem?

Terrorists are in this country, maybe even in your own backyard.

The Al Qaeda ringleader, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who was arrested in
Pakistan on Saturday, graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in
Greensboro in 1986.

This terrorist mastermind, more dangerous and knowledge than even Osama Bin
Laden in the circles of Al Qaeda, went to college just down the road.

But yet our governments focus here is bongs, not bombs.

What I want you readers to understand here is that though most of my
articles this semester have dealt with marijuana in some way, the issue
here is not marijuana at all.

The issue is with a government who seems more worried about people smoking
pot than people organizing terrorist attacks.

With all that is going on in the world right now, are the people running
the show really that clueless?

If this keeps up, what is going to happen in the future?

This is why I'm worried, people. Very worried.