At times, I listen to the local news on the radio and have to wonder which rabbit hole I fell down.

Seattle has a major heroin epidemic that has gotten continually worse after our beloved mayor officially declared that we have an epidemic. I’m expecting an official proclamation that it’s rainy in the days ahead.

I heard a local radio host talking about a pilot program up in Vancouver, B.C. that they claim is working well in the battle against heroin addiction. What you do is a create a safe environment, so that people who are addicted to heroin can come in and shoot up in a safe, sterile setting.  Basically, government-run shoot-up houses.They claim it’s helping the situation.

Now, because of it’s “success”, there’s talk of trying that program out down here in Seattle.

OK, but I’ve got questions:

• Isn’t heroin illegal? Let me help–yes.
• Isn’t possessing it illegal?  That would make sense.

So, it’s being suggested that providing a junkie a safe environment (paid with tax dollars) is the best solution we can offer.

More questions:

• Where are they getting this illegal drug from?
• Is the government supposed to buy it for them, to guarantee its safe, too?
• Where does said junkie get the money to buy that drug? We’ve got an increasing crime problem in Seattle and fueling drug habits is at least partially responsible.

My head wants to explode.  You want to coddle criminal behavioral with the idea that, if we do, it’ll solve the problem?

Well, then why stop there?

BANK ROBBERS: If you have decided to rob banks for a living, the city can establish a safe bank that allows people to bring in their money to give to someone dressed like a teller. Then, they can walk in, point a gun and get their money from the teller. That solves the problem, right?  Except the robber would probably have to rob a real bank in order to get the money for the pretend bank.

CHECK FORGERS: Hey, these people are going through a tougher time than radio DJs. I mean, no one–OK, a few people–are still writing checks. If we give the bank robbers Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then the Check Forgers can have Tuesdays and Thursdays to bring in check with fake signatures for them to cash.

I could have gone with more horrific crimes, but you get the idea.  Taking an illegal activity and condoning it DOES NOT HELP.  Are those nut jobs at city hall thinking that becoming a drug addict is a career path?  I can hear the high school guidance counselor now. “Oh, sure, there are drawbacks, but you’ll be OK. The city will take care of you. Think of it like continuing education.”

Life is a balance. The truth is always somewhere in the middle. Drug addicts need help, not enabling.  They need intervention.  If their mind is so far gone, then the government needs to take over for the protection of the non-injecting population.  Is that really so hard to understand?

I owe you a light topic in the near future.

But in the meantime, I’d just like to say it again–that’s a stupid idea.

Tim Hunter