1990’s militarization of the war on drugs
Drug is a common term in many communities. When people get sick they go to a drug store or pharmacy and buy prescribed medicines. When taken at right proportions as directed they may help in healing certain diseases. However, there are certain drugs that are harmful to the body. People use them for different purposes without considering the later effects (The drug facts. n.d., para. 3). For example, the use of heroine may result to addiction, heart failures and other dangerous diseases. In the end, it may cause deaths. Statistics reveal that many youths participate in drug misuse. For example, if a girl gets pregnant out of wedlock, she decided to overdose in order to abort. There are other situations, where stresses people take drugs in excess to commit suicide. In addition, some prominent businesspersons involve youth in drug trafficking. The reason behind this concept is that jobs are hard to come by, therefore many youths resort to illegal activities like drug trafficking. That is why some countries decided to declare war on drugs to save the present generation and the one to come.
In America, militarization of the war on drugs was implemented by the state. The state had become uncontrollable. For example, most students were caught sniffing and ingesting drugs like cocaine and heroin. The rude children introduced the innocent lives in these trends. In the end, some cities become unsecure to live in. the use of drugs is associated with legal activities like theft, rape and other illegal activities. Therefore, the state thought of different ideas of solving these dilemmas.
According to the US government, they decided on various strategies that could be used to stop drug usage in the country. The use of military to fight drugs was considered the most appropriate method. The objectives that were settled upon while declaring war on drugs include the following (Miranda, n.d., para 3);
Finding ways on how to do away with the growing of crops used to make drugs. This includes tobacco.
Implementing policies that could be responsible towards reducing drug smuggling
Undertaking thorough investigation and punishing those who are guilty of drug trafficking.
Involving the court to deny the guilty once access to release on bond. They should serve their sentence as required.
Making sure that the drugs are destroyed so as not to be used by the influential businesspersons.
Considering the above objectives, there was a high possibility of saving the country from the issues of drugs. For example, through finding the source of the drugs was a key factor. The military have essential skills in determining the source. This was possible by involving detectives and other forensic scientist. The military have specialized training is tracing such issues. The military was entitled to identify where some people farmed things like tobacco. They would intern arrest the person involved and after investigation, they could burn the crops. This ideology was effective as many people decided not to plant as they could be got. In order to farm tobacco one had to get license from the state and was monitored by specialized people. However, on the contrary people ended up switching to trafficking in drugs from other countries that were not strict. For example, American drug dealers would make deals with African or Asian counterparts and they would deliver already processed drugs.
Allowing the military to participate in drug reduction perpetuated to introduction of drug reduction policies. These policies were implemented in the1990’s to make sure that people who never followed this orders were dealt with accordingly (Zedillo & Wheeler, 2012, P.7). For example, some drug traffickers used dead bodies to transport the drugs. They could dissect a dead body and insert the cocaine. This was common with Americans and Mexicans. However, through the military policies, they insisted on checking suspected bodies. The ideology behind these policies was to ensure that even the rich and powerful could not escape the law. Therefore, it forced the rich popular people who practiced such illegal activities to find other means. On the contrary, involving the military in reduction of dugs encouraged corruption (Karlin, 2012, para 3.). For example, the military could strike a deal with the affected people. In countries like in Africa, this was a common deal as the economy was unstable. The salaries were low and the soldiers needed extra cash to live by. This meant that the policies were just on written paper but practically they never existed. In the end, the drug involvement continued however in secret.
When the high commandants noticed that there could be corruption input, they insisted on thorough investigation. Drugs resulted to other problems like kidnapping of young girls. The girls could be taken by Americans and act like guinea pigs. There are situations where prostitutes were forced to use such drugs to be high and not feel ashamed as they satisfy the sexual requirement of other men. This situation was tormenting to the state and the citizens of various countries. Involving the military in such thorough investigation would force the once involved to reveal the identity of their counterparts. These were effective as most drug traffickers were got and some girls were saved. However, the nature of torturing could be server. Those who could have been innocent could undergo trauma in the end.
Involving the court in the drug trafficking issues was effective. When the military had done their job and found some suspects, they were charged. Those who were taken to caught and found guilty were sentenced to many years of imprisonment. The military found it wise to tell the court importance of denying the guilty once access to bail. Some were not allowed to people from the outside as they would communicate and continue with the idea even when they were still in jail.
Finally, when investigation was over, it was important to burn the drugs. Some militants are usually traitors. The vow they make is nothing to them but words. Therefore, they can strike deals with other people and sell the drugs. When the drugs are burnt it passes a clear warning to those who are caught that they would not be spared. Therefore, considering all the above factors, it is vital to note that the military war on drugs had various challenges. However, it played a huge role in reducing drugs in America.
Other factors can be considered to have played a role in reducing drugs in the community. The church has been attributed towards creating a change in societies that use drugs. For example, there are situations when a group of people who have strong faith and counsel their fellow youths they help them change. The war on drugs is expresses by use of songs and testimonies from people who were initially addicts. Others went to an extent of losing some parts of their bodies due to ignorance. This sparks some sense to some who may be victims and eventually tell authorities of those who are highly involved. In the end, they are arrested.
The availability of juvenile prisons also plays a role in ruling out drugs. However, this factor helps those who want to change. This means that those who are forced to join rehabilitation centers may not change. Some parents get too busy that they do not focus on their children welfare. This is how some get into drugs and eventually it is hard to solve. Therefore, parents should be responsible for their children’s action. They should create time and have proper communication regarding drugs and sex.
The state should be considerate in terms of job opportunities. Most of the time the youth involved in drug trafficking do it out of frustration. In Africa, many ladies envy prestigious lives. They end up in online search for jobs that may be tempting. They are promised prestigious jobs. However, their contacts make sure that they make them slaves. In Arab countries, they enslave African women and make them sex partners to their pets. In order to have the v courage to have sex with animals they accept to use drugs. In the end the use of drug continues.
In conclusion, war on drugs has been serious in many countries. The involvement of the military in reducing the use of drugs has been a success. Therefore, more training and resources should be directed in the forces and improve on their tactics.
Reference List
Karlin M. (2012). How the militarized war on drugs in latin america benefits transnational
corporations and undermines democracy. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from
http://truth-out.org/news/item/10676-how-the-war-on-drugs-in-latin-america-benefits-transnational-corporations-and-undermines-democracy
Miranda, J. (n.d.). War on drugs: military perspectives and problems. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from
http://www.drcnet.org/military/
The drug facts. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2013, from
http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts.html
Zedillo, E. & Wheeler, H. (2012). Rethinking the “war on drugs” through the us-mexico prism.
Retrieved January 24, 2013, from
http://www.ycsg.yale.edu/center/forms/rethinking-war-on-drugs.pdf
