The movie traffic revolves around three different story vignettes that tell different sides on the war on drugs. While many people think the war on drugs is impossible to win, the movie gives hope. Mexican drug cartels generate more money than many small countries. The task of eradicating them is no small feat. First, America needs to look at itself and its own borders before they can aid Mexico in their daily struggle against drugs. More money should be put into treatment programs and more attention should be placed in staying away from drugs in schools. A redistribution of cops should leave less in the suburbs and more in inner city neighborhoods. Not because I am saying that suburbia is any better than the city, but statistically more drugs are bought and sold in these areas. America also needs to crack down further on border control. Although a harsh method, trespassers into America should be shot on site. This would scare more people from coming over the border smuggling drugs. On the Mexican side, more money needs to be spent in educating kids in schools. America can help be training large city police departments to be better able to combat the cartels. Mexico should also find the money to raise the pay of public officials and cops so that they do not need to be bribed by gangs. Next, although this would have serious political repercussions, America could send in an elite military force to quietly eliminate the heads of the cartels. They are not in hiding and would be easy to find. Also, America has done it before when they took out Pablo Escobar.
Some people argue that the drug problem could be solved if America legalized Marijuana. They say that the government would generate an income and could control the supply of weed. I disagree. People are making a living off of selling drugs and will not be happy to give up their business to the government. Loyal customers would also still stick to their illegal buyers. As for other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methanphetamenes; not option of legalization could be presented. Here in Loyola, I think that the school has a good grasp on the situation. So far as I know, no serious accusations of major amounts of drugs have been found on campus. The school for the most part trusts its students and the students earn the schools respect by obeying the rules. Unfortunatly. I do not know if that give and take system would work in the real world.
Jacob, I agree with you that the boarder patrol on the United State's side should be more harsh with how they handle people trying to come into the states. I do not think that they should necessarily be shot on the site but i do think that they should use tactics that would scare people into illegally coming into the U.S. Just as the movie Traffic said that drugs are more accessible to those of a younger age (mainly teenagers), I also agree that more attention should be put towards treatments in schools and programs should be more available to those who have drug problems. Couseling for kids that are drug atticts should be free as well as possible psychiatric and Narcotics Anonymous programs. I would not mind our tax money going towards programs such as these instead of going to government housing, etcetera.
ReplyDeleteLastly, I agree that Loyola's system of handling drugs on campus would not be able to work in the real world. We can not simply "expell" or "suspend" people in the real world for their use of drugs. I feel that the South should work on changing their system in prisons to make rehabilitation an imparative part of regular jail time. Wether the person be in jail for selling or for buying illegal drugs, i think that rehabilitation should still be a part of jail time as well.
Firstly, I agree with what you said about how legalizing marijuana wouldn't help the war on drugs. This is true for many reasons. As you said, loyal customers would stay with their dealers but also, there will always be someone selling it illegally, cheaper not to mention that if the government is selling it, it might not be as strong as what people were previously smoking and then they would go buy "better" stuff from illegal dealers. And, if you think about it, if they were to legalize it, people who do other drugs would be pushing for their drugs to get legalized too.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really don't understand is why they don't make people to go rehab, or at least have some sort of rehabilitation in jail. With all of the money that is being used to put drug abusers and users in jail, we could be using it to help these people cope with their addictions. Putting them in jail isn't necessarily going to stop them from doing drugs especially if they are addicted.
One of the problems that I had with the movie was that when the kids were brought to jail for bringing their friend, who was currently overdosing on drugs, to the hospital they weren't drug tested. Don't you think that if they were with someone who was on drugs that they should be checked to see if they were doing drugs as well?