THIS VIRUS STEMS FROM DEADLY MIX

Politics in Eastern Kentucky have always been highly charged and
emotional, especially during countywide elections, but this recent
spate of violence can't be shrugged off as politics as usual. There
is nothing usual about the assassination of one candidate in Pulaski
County...with an opponent among three charged with murder...nor is
there anything typical about gunfire this week in Clay County that
targeted at least one candidate, maybe more. There is nothing usual
about the murder of another candidate in Harlan County. These are not
cases of emotional overload.

They are signals of a very serious problem that promises only more
violence. These heinous acts are the symptoms of a deadly mixture
that is not unique to our region or our state, but it is a
combination that we must attack quickly and effectively, with eyes
wide open. Drugs and poverty-induced desperation are the ingredients
of a problem that threatens the very fabric of our society, and the
"players in this deadly game are becoming bolder and deadlier with
every passing moment. The appearance of and rapid growth of
methamphetamine production in Eastern Kentucky requires our immediate
attention. This drug can be produced from materials available just
about anywhere. It is a highly addictive drug that can turn seemingly
"normal" people into violence-prone psychopaths. The proliferation of
this drug, if not curbed quickly, could shred our society. We stand
to lose an entire generation to addiction and even bloodshed if we
don't stem the growth of this meth-induced virus. Our police agencies
are being overwhelmed by drug cases and our institutions are being
infiltrated by the subculture. Most of the recent examples of
violence in politics all point in the same direction, to the same
root cause...drugs. We cannot permit the peace and tranquility of our
lives to be threatened any longer by this infection. We cannot look
the other way and hope it will go away. We can't let the bad guys win
this fight, but they will if we don't draw a line now. We have a
problem...a very dangerous, deadly problem that is well-financed and
uninhibited by anything resembling principle, humanity or morality.
We must stand up, stand firm and stand in to combat it. This war must
not be lost.

- --Scott Perry