The Real Enemy

We are losing the war on drugs! Recently, three people working for, or married to employees of the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were murdered. They were just three of the 5348 people in Juarez, and more than 18,000 people in Mexico, murdered since December, 2006. Of the 45,000 military troops Mexican President Felipe Calderon has committed to combat the murderous drug cartels south of the American border, 7,000 were deployed to Juarez, the export center for illegal drugs destined for the United States. It is here, the reputed murder capitol of the world, where rival drug cartels wage war for control of smuggling rights into the U.S. Since that time, tens of thousands of residents have left Juarez. More than 30,000 residents of Juarez have migrated to El Paso, TX, because of this violence. Juarez has seen more than one billion dollars in trade evaporate, thousands of businesses close, and unemployment escalate exponentially.

The U.S. government has committed $400 million per year to the Mexican government to stem the tide of illegal drugs crossing the border into our cities and homes. It is too little and too late. Unfortunately, the war on drugs was lost years ago. Why? Our government failed to recognize the real enemy. As the comic strip character Pogo declared, "We have met the enemy and they are us!"

For decades, many of our citizens have proclaimed that individual drug use is a victimless crime. I would argue that the statistics prove otherwise. As much as it pains me, I would not be surprised to learn that some of my friends, neighbors, and even members of my church and family are illegal drug users. Indirectly, these are the same people responsible for the drug related murders and economic ruin in Juarez and other cities around the globe where violent drug activity exists.

If we ever hope to stop this cancerous crime wave that is destroying nations, communities, and families, it is incumbent upon all of us to employ the first law of economics--supply and demand--in the war on drugs. The supply of drugs will dry up (along with the violent drug cartel wars) when we eliminate the demand for illegal drugs. It is a simple, uncomplicated, and extremely effective tactic that must be employed at the grass roots level. I suggest that it would be much more cost effective and beneficial to wage a wide-scale media campaign of public service announcements to educate people on the violent deaths, social, and economic ruin caused by their lust for illegal drugs.

If you are one of those people who still believes illegal drug use is a victimless crime, I would encourage you to do some research and reconsider your position. Until we recognize and target the real enemy in this war, we will continue to lose the war on drugs. And until we eliminate the demand for illegal drugs, the blood of our  brothers and sisters throughout the world will continue to flow.