LOCALLY, TERRORISTS' ARE DEALING IN DRUGS

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we as a nation and a city have
come together with a common goal to wipe out the terrorist groups in
this country and throughout the world. We are sending our neighbors,
sons, daughters and relatives to accomplish this goal. It is going to
cost us in human lives, but we will prevail.

Locally, we are facing a different kind of terrorist: the drug
dealer. Too often we are silent on such issues until they affect us
personally. That happened to me recently, when I received a phone
call advising me that my nephew had died of a drug overdose.

He died in the residence of a suspected dealer. Unfortunately, I also
have a daughter, a young adult, who is an addict. Will my next phone
call be about her?

Many Mobilians are facing similar situations, and I challenge Mayor
Mike Dow to give our police force full, unrestrained authority and
his support to flush out these drug dealers.

Our police officers are capable, heroic (and underpaid) men and women
who are ready and willing to do their jobs. We have new laws that
have opened many doors for dealing with terrorists. Let our law
enforcement people use those laws for the pursuit of these people.

No drug dealer should be untouchable. We watch the pursuit of Osama
bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and see the great progress
that has been made in that arena. Surely, we can bring our local
terrorists to justice.

Mobilians, let's get serious about our drug traffic and its related
problems. Let's demand action from our local leaders. Or do we need a
Sept. 11-style wake-up call?

JOHN E. CARPENTER

Mobile