WHERE HAVE WE GONE WRONG?

We can't say for certain that drugs - either the legal kind or the illegal
kind - had anything to do with the beating death of Rocky Davisson earlier
this month.

But what we can say for certain is that some of the people arrested had
been charged previously with alcohol and drug violations. And we can say
with some degree of certainty that most or all of the 10 people arrested so
far in connection with the case were aware of the use and misuse of drugs
around them, whether or not they took part.

And we can also say with some degree of certainty that too many of us have
been willing to overlook the increase in drug abuse going on around us.
It's not just people we don't know any more who are coming into our
community and bringing their bad habits with them.

Now the names are familiar.

And they have been for some time.

Where have we failed?

Perhaps in being too willing to overlook minor infractions. Perhaps in
being too busy to have the kind of open communication with our families
that is needed. Perhaps in not working hard enough to keep a family
together. Perhaps in not taking the role of parent, or grandparent or good
friend seriously enough to stand up for decency even when it's an unpopular
choice. Perhaps in condoning a revolving- door court system.

We can blame society, of course. But who is society but us?

Any way you look at it, Davisson's death was brutal. And those accused of
his death are people he must have once considered friends.

Is this the society we are now?