Another Day, Another Drug Bust (Vol. 1)
Today, U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan announced the fruits of a two-year drug investigation: 34 arrests, 22 kilos of cocaine, 3 murders averted.
Meehan announced the results of Operation Bankshot at a playground, claiming the location was apt:
“We’re really in a battle for the hearts and the minds of the children. They should be emulating the kids from this neighborhood that were part of the state champions on the basketball court, not the drug-dealing thugs that we’re going to be taking into federal court.”
Truth is, though, poor kids in Chester have a much easier time becoming a drug dealer than they do making the varsity basketball team. It’s sometimes astounding what public officials say when they announce drug busts; Meehan’s comment isn’t even so over-the-top. Drug dealers (and drug users) have been demonized enough in this country that every one arrested is a murderer deserving of a life sentence. If Operation Bankshot averted several murders, than this two-year investigation was certainly worth it. But what about non-violent offenders caught up in such investigations? Violence is too often simply a side-effect of prohibition, and continuous assaults on drug dealers don’t seem to do much but make markets more violent.
Mayor Nutter, a self-professed huge fan of The Wire, said last month: “We are taking the city back. Anyone who doesn’t understand that needs to get out.” It’s astounding someone could be that much of a fan of The Wire and still support the drug war with such reasoning.
7 months ago