What happened to American Standards?

Talking to sources who know, closing the U.S. border with Mexico is not realistic. I know in the past few weeks, in desperation, there have been calls to stop all border traffic with Mexico. 

What would that look like? Farm to table products would grind to a halt. How many times do you examine fruit or vegetables and notice that it has been grown in Columbia, Mexico, and other Southern origination points. 

The produce and hardgoods also come with the importation of Fentanyl, Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin and other illicit drugs. If it's not trucked in, it is likely flown in undetected. Canada, The United States and Mexico are inextricably linked. 

Legally we have free trade without tariffs across the three nations. Without free trade all 3 economies would likely collapse. Cars, furniture, produce, meat chicken, beef are moved across the border hourly. A closed border would leave produce rotting on trucks. 

The nasty side of free trade is the import of drugs. I see two ways to fix the issue. Dry up the demand for drugs or attack the source.

Let's look at demand. We certainly are not helping our own cause. In Pittsburgh and likely more cities billboards are posted that say, "check your drugs for Fentenal". 

Imagine people that make policy are giving in to the use of illegal drugs and giving tacit approval in their language via their language. Translation, we know you are using illegal drugs, if you do purchase and use them make sure they are not laced with Fentenal. 

I like to use the word "pragmatic". Translation let's take what the defense is giving. We have given in on something pretty important. We are giving in to addictive narcotics and have given up the fight prevent addiction. 

The argument goes like this, "they are going to use drugs anyway, let's make sure they are safe." It's like we say so often, shame is gone. No shame in being on "relief" or as my mom used to say, "on the dole". Pregnancy before marriage and a whole host of issues that were once unacceptable in polite society is now normal and if you disagree you are called a 

Dinosaur. 

It's the end of society as we once knew it. Don't believe it, here is proof. A number of stores have now locked everything down from apples to pen and paper. They do this because people will walk in stores and randomly take what they want and walk out. No penalty, in fact store clerks are told not to challenge the thieves. 

We are seeing the end of civilization, in some regions. as we once knew it. This came about first with looting in times of disaster to the current day where flash mobs show up and take what they want after overwhelming merchants.

We have encouraged this by making silly laws such as the California law that does call for no charges if the theft is under 900 dollars. You guessed it, anything under 900 dollars is fair game and being stollen regularly.

This is a roundabout way of telling you the drug problem and more specifically the 100 thousand Fentanyl deaths each year are a product of mixed messages. 

The Mayor of New York has installed way stations where drug users can pick up clean needles, crack pipes, baby wipes, Narcan and facilitate the use of drugs. No shame in using, no jail time for possession, we simply tolerate drug use. 

Back to my first point, how do you fix the drug problem? You simply curb demand. It's very simple and something that can be controlled.

The other method, stop the drugs at their source. The United States goes to war with the exporters of illegal drugs to the United States. 

How would a war look? The United States would gather intelligence on the purveyors of death, identify the target and eliminate the source.  

How that would look is an invasion of a sovereign country, targeting the drug supply lines, crippling their ability to produce and export drugs. In general, declaring all-out war on the Cartels. The loss of civilian life would likely be high, and criticism of the United States would be forthcoming from the entire world.

I think we have the technology to eliminate the source of the drugs but remember the Cartels reach is long. They are already operating inside the United States, and they would not take the fight lying down. 

Expect retaliation in the form of bombings, and maybe an all-out war brought to our cities and towns.

Let's get back to the word pragmatic. What is the defense giving us? No one is being forced to purchase and use synthetic heroin, Cocaine or seek children for sexual pleasure. 

This behavior is a product of a permissive society. Most don't engage in the practice so that makes it easier to target. We know who the drug users are. Most of them are lousy criminals who get caught. 

We know the homeless. We know people who revel in sex with children. When I say we know them, I mean we could know them even more intimately if the United States truly cared. 

If you're still with me, you realize a war inside Mexico with the Cartels cannot be accomplished without horrific loss of life and the invasion of a sovereign country. The border cannot be closed due to the linkage of the United Sates, Mexico and Canadian government. To close the border is akin to an instant recession in the United States. Trade has to occur for healthy economies. 

In my opinion we have never tried to dry up demand by condemning illegal drug use. We have never truly gone after the sickos who purchase trafficked children. 

I would like to see a resurgence of a country with high standards. I am confident I could muster a plurality of people who are ready for higher standards.

I am talking about a complete disassociation with illegal drugs and real penalties for using them. I am talking about identifying those addicted, incarcerating those users and providing the treatment to leave drugs behind or live their lives in custody as guests of the prison system.

I reject the notion that money is unavailable. Do we debate the 100 plus billion dollars used to fight a war in Ukraine. No, we simply stand silent while our government takes tax dollars and fights a proxy war in Europe. 

We do this as our country is at war with an enemy that is taking 100 thousand lives annually with one drug- Fentanyl.

I scoff at the idea; you can't incarcerate your way out of crime. If you are confined, you can't use illegal drugs and you can't steal merchandise to use drugs. 

When are we the majority going to show some testosterone and choose high standards. Our standards are being dumbed down to almost nonexistent status. 

We can fix the drug, human trafficking and a host of other issues by incarceration and treatment. We as a peace-loving majority should start demanding standards.

It goes back to the issue I proffered the other day we need to take control of our classrooms and separate those who want to learn from those who cause disruption. If you choose disruption we have a place for you, but not in the classroom. 

We have a deficit of standards in the United States. Likeminded people which are the majority. Americans should begin by selecting representatives and will put forth legislation to restore standards in America.

Dan Rivers

570 WKBN