What Are You Thinking?

Growing up and living in small town rural America it is easy to see how most people around here have good values, morals and common sense.  We have all witnessed incidents when someone with a Bachelor of Arts or even a Master’s degree from College definitely does not suffice for a lack of common sense with a person.

Even more so we hope the people who are in charge of our communities and government are not only intelligent but also hold an above average amount of common sense.  In local governments the community often puts the right people in office and when we don’t that is usually quickly corrected.  However when we elect state and federal officials we do not “know” these people or much more about them other than what negative ad they put out against their opponent(s) or from a pre-authorized press release about the candidate.  It seems much easier for voters to stick with a party view or base our vote on what limited information is provided to us.

More importantly on the federal level we very seldom know the quality of people we vote for.  They are usually so far removed from us that we have no insight as to the honesty, integrity and common sense they hold.

In my opinion look at the United States Attorney General’s Office.  Eric Holder has made known his opinions and used the power of his office to suggest that we should reduce sentences for drug crimes on the federal level.  That might be a good selling point to some that are not in law enforcement.  But think of it this way.  We seldom have any investigation that would qualify or reach a federal level prosecution around here.  When we do it is usually because the person or group of people have been distributing huge quantities of dangerous drugs like Methamphetamine.  I am not talking about a few grams, ounces, or even pounds.  But hundreds if not thousands of pounds of the product that is often used by ¼ gram or less at a time.  Given there are 28 grams in an ounce and each gram can quickly be sold at $100 here it does not take many pounds of the drug to make millions of dollars.  The cost to society is way more then what these criminals make with their huge profits.  The murders, destroyed families due to addictions, stolen property, ruined lives, lost jobs, and money removed from legitimate businesses and costs to the government far outweigh the individual sentence.

Many people are supportive of legalizing marijuana.  Some states have stepped that direction and in my opinion we will see more if not all the states do so within the next decade.  But General Holder was not simply focusing on marijuana but instead it is drug crimes.  Murder is immediate but isn’t killing someone piece by piece with pumping them full of methamphetamine and ruining their entire life and family a dangerous and violent crime?  I think it should be viewed as such.  Right now in 2014 the methamphetamine and prescription abuse and addictions are worse here and now then I have ever seen.  Area law enforcement does not have the tools, staffing or funding to tackle the problem at hand.  In addition to law enforcement we need much more education and treatment available for both children and adults.  

Here is a link to an article I read this morning on immigration and the Federal government taking another step in favoring illegal immigration:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/21/us-weighs-curbing-deportations-for-illegal-immigrants-without-serious-criminal/?intcmp=latestnews

Not many years ago the government viewed illegal immigration as a problem and took steps to at least document and remove those who are illegally in this country.   Granted we are a peaceful nation but why is it many if not most other countries in this world view illegal immigration as a criminal act yet our government now views this as a civil issue and not a criminal violation, even for foreign criminals?

Just in the last few years I have seen the immigration enforcement drastically change.  I get that the United States is viewed as a melting pot of the world and we welcome so many people.  But what is wrong with enforcing the laws we have on record all while protecting helping the American citizens we have here now?  What would this country be like if we attempted to help and support our own instead of every other country in the world?

My view on that goes back to the first paragraph of this editorial; common sense.  Not everyone has it.

Thank you for reading this editorial and supporting the Office of Sheriff.

Be safe,

Steve Cox