Speak Out

Drug effort worthwhile

On March 5, 41 states participated in a nationwide arrest roundup called "Operation Byrne Blitz." The name is in reference to the federally funded Byrne-Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) that funds vital drug task forces and drug courts with rehabilitation programs.

The roundup targeted drug dealers in rural and urban neighborhoods, not addicts or users. This operation was coordinated by the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies in partnership with the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition.

Nationally, the operation resulted in the arrests of 4,220 individuals, the seizure of a variety of drugs, 666 firearms and $13,463,832. Most important, 228 children were determined to be endangered. Those cases were referred to their respected child-protection agencies.

In Alabama, 19 Byrne-JAG drug task forces participated in the operation. The roundup resulted in the arrest of 286 persons, seizures of a variety of drugs, 11 firearms, stolen property and $25,013. Thirty-six search warrants were executed. Again, most important was the discovery of 15 endangered children, who were referred to the Department of Human Resources.

One striking statistic in this one-day operation was the seizure of 105 meth labs nationally. This number includes 24 meth labs in Alabama.

It is vital that Congress properly fund this grant for local law enforcement. State and local governments cannot conduct this fight alone. Drug trafficking is an international problem that affects the citizens of Alabama at a neighborhood level.

Jim Henderson
Alabama Narcotics
Officers Association
Birmingham

Combat real crime

Since January, Sgt. Jim Henderson, vice president of the Alabama Narcotics Officers Association, has protested the federal government cuts to his budget on the editorial pages of many Alabama newspapers. He claimed the cuts would make drug task forces ineffective. When have they ever been effective? Every year the number of drug arrests and the amount of drugs seized rises.

If the tactics employed by Henderson and other drug warriors were working, then shouldn't those numbers be going down? Should they be rewarded for repeated failure with more cash? Only in government does something as asinine as rewarding failure happen. In the private sector, they would be unemployed.

Drug task forces are equivalent to people who abuse the welfare system. Instead of doing real police work on serious crimes like murder, rape, child sex assault, robbery and vehicle theft, they focus on rounding up low-level, non-violent drug users because it's easy. And they get a government welfare check for doing so.

The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center reports that crime clearance rates for 2005 were 19 percent. The drug warrior welfare cuts should be looked upon as a good thing. Perhaps now police will get to work on solving real crimes.

Loretta Nall
Alexander City

Follow Jesus or George?

Re "Countering gunmen" (Speak Out, March 13):

Support of letter writer John Vanderford's rationale that guns on campus should not be a viable alternative and the intelligent course is to seek a safer course is correct. Unfortunately, we no longer allow intelligence and correctness to rule our society.

We live in a world where Christians put a president first and their God second. A world where common sense has been cast aside for hate and greed. The very idea that churches would get involved in the political process is an abomination to Christian ideals. When did anyone read in that most Holy Book that Jesus said arm yourselves and kill them or they might kill you? And how many times does it appear in the Gospels, "Let's lobby Caesar and we can get that done," or did Christ really say, "Go and sin no more"?

Are you going to confess your sinful involvement with government, act like Christians and demand more funding for campus security? And I do not mean more cameras; I mean more campus police. Security IDs that allow only the correct personnel to enter buildings, parking permits that can be scanned to display students' information and class schedules, and security scans for firearms on every door in every building — this will deter and possibly eliminate threats.

This is not the Old West. That isn't Wyatt Earp in the White House. He is the most fiscally irresponsible, dumbest individual ever to have set foot into that building. Do you follow Jesus or George? Do our children fight and die or do we seek peace and tranquility for our children at school and everywhere else?

Bill D. Jennings
Anniston

Proud of Oxford High

Re "Compare Oxford to Anniston: Equal school funding needed" (Speak Out, March 11):

As a lifelong Oxford citizen and alumnus of Oxford High School, I am extremely proud of the expansion ongoing within our school system. I do not quite follow or understand what letter writer Cindy Martin's source of embarrassment is.

The Oxford City School Board, in conjunction with the City of Oxford, has continuously made well-informed educational, financial and systematic improvements to our school system for many years. I assume that Martin's stance is that one entity's proper management should have to compensate for another entity's complete mismanagement.

My stance would be rather than taking out frustrations on a well-functioning school system, I would first begin by taking lessons from it.

Donnie Lewis
Oxford

Torture is un-American

Thanks to Rep. Mike Rogers for standing up for every American's right to torture. Recently, he joined every Republican representative from Alabama in voting to uphold President Bush's veto of a bill to outlaw torture and require agents of the federal government to conform to the Army Field Manual in dealing with prisoners.

As good Germans, we must allow our leaders the freedom to do whatever they determine is necessary to protect our God-given way of life. We must allow our leaders to use any means to protect us from whatever they say is threatening our godly society. We must not allow the opinions of pinko liberals like George Washington to hamstring our ability to defend ourselves.

Just because George Washington forbade torture during the Revolution should not define who we are as Americans. We all know that the will of the great leader George Bush is the law. George Washington is dead, but this generation has been blessed with God's anointed servant, who will ignite Armageddon and bring Jesus back to reign and rule. Of course, this acceptance of torture means that any American captured by an enemy in future wars may be tortured, as well. That is a price Mike Rogers and George Bush are willing to pay.

I write sarcastically because I am outraged at this assault on our honor. Republicans and some Democrats bring shame to our nation. Willingness to obey the rules defines good guys and bad guys. Torture is used by Nazis, not by Americans. Torture is un-American, and so is anyone who embraces it.

Dan Hayes
Piedmont