LOSING THE WAR AGAINST DRUGS?

Headlines in the media: We are losing the war against drugs. Drug use in
Hawai'i is the highest in the nation. Enough of crying! There is a solution.

Recently I saw it on ABC's Good Morning America how our special units operating
on informants' tips raid the homes in residential areas in Iraq. Fully armed
with guns and night vision devices they break down the doors, taking a bundle
of money from the shelf, search the homes. Women and children inside are on
their knees at gunpoint. Unfortunately they did not capture the suspect,
because according to a soldier "he probably escaped through the back door."
Great! Even in primitive operations they surround the house presuming a glimpse
of intelligence of the suspect to try to escape through the back door. CNN ran
the same footage with a little addition: The reporter asked the military
spokesman what happens if the tip was wrong and the people inside were innocent
residents. "We have a special team standing by to repair the damages and we pay
compensation in cash," he answered. That's a fair deal, and good planning,
isn't it?

Well, accepting the premise that our government would never do unlawful things
I am convinced that the above doesn't even skirmish the law. So, here is the
idea:

Why don't our law enforcement people follow suit and raid the suspected drug
dealers' homes? They get tips, they got the guns and the night vision
equipment, and action! Break down those doors, take the money, and arrest the
suspect (unless he leaves through the back door!) And don't forget to have the
special team stand by to make the repairs and pay compensation in cash if the
tip was wrong! And we would not do anything illegal!

Isn't is a drug dealer who tries to sell drugs to our kids in Hawai'i more of
an enemy than that former Iraqi policeman whose home was raided?

Janos Samu

Kalaheo