Page 161 - Phoenix2000-01

COMMENTARY Thursday, May 10, 2001 - Page 9 Why the drug war is intentionally failing nal touches on our research papers Professor Dalton and the Phoenix the fi- We are all either putting I would like to thank Thirdly, or rereading everything we have staff for always giving me feedback Jeremy Keil discusses his music pop pills. read over the past few months in on my stories and ideas for the sec- thoughts on the drug war instead of making a caste sys- preparation for a 'week of finals. tion. Thanks guys; you always in this country. tem where the lower class cannot As the semester comes to an made me feel like 1 was part of get an education, the government end, so does my position as Com- something. The Drug War. The war ON encourages colleges to increase mentary Editor of the Phoenix. drugs. It is a war against drugs, so tuition by offering financial aid to While some of you are graduat- Lastly, but certainly not least I suppose we are fighting drug use. poor students, and then takes ing and moving on to careers or importantly, I would like to thank You mean a lot to you, my readers. So winning the drug war away that aid when the poor stu- graduate schools, others, like my- would mean defeating drugs. Get dent breaks a law rhut the major- self, are preparing for summer in- me. We may not always agree, and rid of drugs and the drug war is ity of people do not follow. ternships and jobs in anticipation BJ Shorb Imay have had my fair share ofty- Wall. That is the goal of the war And why is the government so of a return to WMC this fall. pas, but you kept reading. Thank on drugs, isn't it? Then why can't concerned about raves where ec- Then, there are those of you variety of writers. Some of you you. the greatest power on earth ever stasy and LSD are consumed and who are just awaiting the end offi- were dedicated enough to write for Imay still write a little here and defeat drugs? Why can't the US not about clubs where cocaine and nals-week to sit back and relax for every issue while others wrote once there next semester, free-lance if government defeat drugs and then alcohol are consumed? Ecstasy a few months. in a while. Whether you wrote spo- you will. However, I will not be pack up its bags and go back home and LSD expand people's mind. I imagine there are even some radically or regularly (you knowable to consistently commit, as I after a hard day's work of drug They make you think indepen- of you out there who haven't had who you are), I appreciated your have done this past year. fighting? dently of the socially determined enough reading, paper writing, and contribution. As some of you may know, r The answer is simple. It does reality, which is dangerous to class participation this witt have very impor- not want to. The government does those with the power in that real- not want to win the war on drugs. ity. :~:~;t~~/~~::~e~~:~ I will definitely miss the paper and ~~t:it~~rt:sa~~~sa~~ It does not want to win the war, TIle war on drugs is not about classes. the people involved with it. prepare for the big because that would mean ending fighting drugs: it is about fight- Whatever category event on December the war. Why does the government ing people. It is about jailing a you find yourself a part of, one I would also like to mention that 28,2001 (the wedding). focus on policies that increase its higher proportion of blacks, it is thing remains the same ... We are all I appreciated you putting up with Even though the paper has power, yet do about discourag- looking forward to a difficult my many phone calls and messages given me both negative and posi- not defeat ing the poor to at- semester's end. (for those few I woke up, I am tive experiences, I am sure that drug use? The war on drugs is tend college, it is As I resign from my current sorry). my campus mail reminders, there are many more of the latter. I Well,ljust not about fighting about discourag- duty as editor of the commentary and my comments in passing. will definitely miss the paper and said it. The ing freethinking. section, I would like to say a few Secondly, Iwould like to thank the people involved with it. war n drugs drugs; it is about A recent survey words of thanks to the people who my editor, teacher, and good friend, Thank you all for your conm- increases the fighting people. said 70% of have contributed to my section and Ed Schultheis, for double-checking bution~. I hope everyone has a government's Americans be- influenced my role. my section. teaching me layout, wonderful and safe summer, wher- power. It in- lieve the war on First of all, I want to thank my and keeping me company during ever you go and whatever you do. creases its control over our lives. drugs is a failure, yet nearly all of writers. I have had a variety of in- my long Friday nights in the Phoe- It keeps the same people in the those people believe the current teresting commentaries contributed nix office. Ed: Icouldn't have done -BJ Shorb is a junior commuruca- government coffer. It keeps policies are the best way to go. to the section this semester from a it without you. I tiol(.mqjpr. I ..~ 'j I • subversives under control. That's The tyranny of the majority is ig- the main one there. The war on norance. Spring's stingy and sappy stigmas drugs is the best way to subtly In this case this ignorance is keep anti-establishment forces to the fact that politicians use the Joan Faulkner compares for other means of food (i.e. Me). And as I recall from past sci- down. war on drugs, NOT to defeat the beauty of spring to the Or maybe they are just bored (I ence classes, bugs in general help Instead of passing a law that drugs, but to defeat dissent, free- would be if I were a bug) and are make our environment better and disenfranchises blacks, the gov- dom and self-reliance. The crime, critters it brings with it. simply seeking company. Or more ecologically sound. Perhaps ernment passes a taw that disen- fear, and loss of freedoms associ- Walking down the sidewalk by maybe they're just born nasty and we owe them a big pat on the back franchises felons. and then con- ated with drugs will never end the quad, I'm enjoying the lovely ARE out to get me! for all I know. victs as many blacks as possible. until the American public associ- spring weather and very happy that Whatever the reason. T find But yet bugs are such a pest, Instead of raiding upscale ates their loss, not with drugs, but I can once again wear shorts and a myself frantic in all of the above clubs where executives share with the failed policies of the sleeveless shirt. Iglance at the guys situations and have to quickly that I cannot, not, complain about them. heroin needles and do cocaine iu Drug War. playing soccer and frisbee, and the search for my key while the bees Consider the worms that seem the bathroom, the government girls mingling and gossiping on jet-line to prey on me. to fill the sidewalks when rain raids raves where kids who dress -Jeremy Keil is a junior Physics blankets in the quad, and the beau- There are, unfortunately, no real comes, and fill my sneaker soles differently and listen to different major tiful nature surrounds them. solutions to this dilemma. with warm worm guts. I continue walking by the We could get rid of all the Let's not forget those malicious bushes enjoying this pleasant after- bushes, flowers, and greenery, but mosquitoes that mercilessly suck noon, and lazily beg-buzzzzzz, that would take away the beauty of my blood out to no end. No matter what was that?! Buzzzzzzzz! WMC, and consequently, probably what I do to try to prevent their Suddenly I wounds, I :~:~d:~S~~:~;;...maybe they are just bored and are simply usually have 100+ bites by in every direction! seeking company. Or maybe they're just born summer's I escape quickly to end. . the quad to get nasty and ARE out to get me! What away but cannot about those return without the bees encompass- some prospecti ve students from lovely summer picnics that are ingme. this campus. . "spoiled" by the flocking flies and Alas, one of the small trials of A more practical solution would annoying ants swarming around spring is the huge following of bees be to have lid-covered trash cans our perfect food, making those pic- (at least it seems so on this cam- instead of open ones. But I'm sure nics far less lovely. pus) that flock to you every time' the lids wouldn't stay on, as stu- But even though there seems to you approach a bush or trash can. dents are too lazy (no offense, I'm be an infinite amount of trouble I don't mean to be nit-picky one of them) to continuously re- from the bastardly bees and bugs about these little critters, but they move and recover them. Or maybe to go around, I still am very thank- are driving others and myself crazy there's a bee-gone (get it?) bug ful it is spring. to an extreme! Every time r walk spray that Idon't know about to get Surely, it is a time that I can into my on-campus house or by rid of the horrid hornets. frolic freely on our quaint little ANW or Daniel McLea, 4 or 5 of However, r shouldn't complain, campus quad. these "well-meaning" bugs sur- as without the bees. our spring OW!!!!! Well at least to a de- round me for no apparent good rea- would not be as gorgeous. They gree. son. pollinate and nectar the flowers, so Perhaps they can't find anything I guess I shouldn't gang up on them -Joan Faulkner is ajunior commu- good in the trash and are seek.ing too much. nication major.