Monday, November 07, 2005

Parents: The Anti-Drug?

I saw this on Saturday in the NY Post. (Yes, I read that rag...for fun, and of course, for the gossip!) but it occured to me that if even this parent (John Timoney, Miami Chief of Police, formerly of the Philly PD and NYPD) can't keep his kids from the lure of illicit drug profits, then what chances do average, everyday Moms and Dads have to keep their kids off drugs?

And yet, even though this tough-on-crime, law and order-type has had not one, but two "druggie" kids, he still never gives up on trying to help them through their difficult problems with drugs. According to the NY Post article...

Sean drifted away from his family years ago, sources said.

But his father never gave up on him and won't give up on him now, a former NYPD chief and close friend of the family told The Post.

The friend recalled when [daughter] Christine was in her mid-teens and addicted to heroin.

"John saved Christine numerous times, getting her to hospitals or rehab. His response never wavered. He always responded to help her, relapse after relapse.

"It became more debilitating and frustrating for him to respond, but time after time, he went to her side. Fatherly love was much stronger than his tough law-enforcement image.

"He knew, or hoped, that age would rescue her. But he had to keep her alive through her teens to get there," the friend said.

The article goes on to say that Christine is now doing well, having graduated college, become engaged and is close to her family.

I certainly don't mean to jump on top of what is clearly a difficult family drama. But I do think it's imporant for all parents -- particularly those who are being influenced by the barrage of ads telling them that it's their fault if they don't stop their kids from using drugs -- to stop and think about how much control over their kids' actions they really have.

Finally, when faced with the choice of abandoning his child to the legal system or standing by him, Chief Timoney chose to do whatever he could to help. Parents across the country should take note!

People are talking about this over on TalkLeft.

3 comments:

Jonathan Perri said...

Nice post Dan,
I find it interesting to see how many individuals support the war on drugs at all costs, but when it comes to a member of their immediate family having a drug problem, somehow it is different. Suddenly they realize the importance of Rehabilitation over Incarceration because they know it will be more effective for their loved one. And nobody wants to see a family member suffer the effects of drug use, but they want to keep their child,mother, or father close and where they know they can get effective help and turn their life around, not sit in a prison cell with the dangers of physical and psychological abuse and no-guarantee of a "drug-free" environment.

Micah Daigle said...

It is often said by many anti-war activists that the only way the Iraq war will end is if the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful are drafted into that war. I think there is some truth to that statement, and it carries over to the War on Drugs.

I would be surprised if Timoney's view of drug-users has not changed at all in light of his childrens' involvement with drugs. Hopefully, he will realize that all people deserve a second chance (not just his children) and take the courageous step of speaking out against drug prohibition.

Anonymous said...

Typical hypocritical bigot if you ask me. Just as you say they want the best for their kids cause after all they are the "good" kids its everyone else's little crazed dope fiends we need to lock away RIGHT NOW! Big shocker huh!

I friend of mine had a brother in law that was warden of a jail in the 80's. For the life of me I could never imagine how he could sleep at night knowing there were people locked in the very same prison he ran who were there for no other reason than doing the very same thing he would do at home himself, smoke some pot. Hell I know this guy even did coke.

I think the main point to drive home with regard to how totally useless and wasteful the attempt to stop drugs has become is jail itself.

If the law can not keep drugs out of a JAIL then WHATS THE POINT? I mean no one leaves the place right with the exception of the guards and staff. But they are all sworn public servants and would never break the law by bringing in drugs, would they?

This one case demonstrates a few things.

1. So long as drugs are illegal the profit margin and incentive is so high that even the people we hire to stop drugs end up being the ones letting them through for a payoff or selling them direct themselves. If we can't count on them I say once again WHATS THE POINT of doing it at all?

2. Its shows the inability of law enforcement to enforce this law. if they can not enforce this law on a captive audience living in small cinder block cages, how in the hell do they think they are really doing on any and every street corner in America?

The law will not change until the hypocritical old basturds that came up with all this BS go away by vote or by death. Which ever is quickest works for me. They can not admit the past decades were a mistake and never should have happened. Can you recall any politician admitting they were wrong? They can't say yeah we locked up MILLIONS of people and ruined their lives for now other reason than they were doing stuff we didn't like! Yeah we pissed away billions upon billions of dollars and forced you to pay for propaganda that we than imposed on you. Yeah we "accidently" killed a couple people kicking in the wrong door at 3am. OPPS our bad. Oh yeah I almost forgot we stripped you of your Constitutional rights and dignity by requiring forced piss police shake downs. All that money we confiscated without actually arresting anyone for a crime, well ummmm we gave that to "The Children". ;) ;)

I could go on and on.

My main peeve is the sick who can't get pot to help them along because some drunken politician doesn't think they really need it and that they can take drugs for those health issues. Personally I hope those individuals who would go out of their way to keep a sick dying person from any item they said helped them to feel better dies a long slow painful death as they try to choke down all their pharma buddies pills that don't work. Ya know what maybe it will take a few of the "good" kids such as this stroy talks about is only helped by pot. Think daddy hypocrit would ride up to save the day and suddenly advocate pot as medicine?

I work for big pharma and they love that shit let me tell ya. Its great how the drug industry is searching for get this a DRUG to help people do what? get this QUIT USING DRUGS! Now it might be me but that seems like nothing more than substitution. One in which the drug corps profit instead of the evil dope dealers, but wait thats right pot is a plant hmmmmm that means anyone could grow it already as it is and take out the dealer and the drug corp. Neither of those poses much benefit to government and big pharma. No money to be made makes making marijuana legal is a no gainer for governments bankroll and also takes away their presumed reasons for being able to step on our rights as they please.

Obviously the government can't get rid of what they lead us to believe is armageddon via intoxication. Yet they persist in continuing to "try" no matter what the cost to individual freedom as happy hour goes on at thousands of bars all over the US.

We must now persistently try our best to rid ourselves of these individuals and their short sighted bigoted ways.

Unfortunetly its the only way.