In October of 2000, Officer Ed Totely was about to complete the biggest case of his life. He has successfully infiltrated a drug smuggling ring and was making his final purchase from his dealer before he would take down the organization. After infiltrating this organization he began working with federal agencies like the FBI. That night in October, he pulled up to meet his dealer Kofi Lindsay and handed him the cash. For whatever reason, suspicion, greed, or malice, Kofi decided he wanted to keep the drugs and the money. When he went to his car to get the drugs he instead got a gun and killed Officer Totely at point blank range.
Though Officer Totely was a soldier in a war which I want to end today he is a victim of my real enemy, the War on Drugs. Even though it may be hard because many times we are the target, we must remember the phrase we use for all our wars, “support the troops not the war.” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund recently held their annual candle light vigil for slain cops. In 2010, over 150 officers gave their life in the line of duty. These men and women we not doing what they did because it was fun, they were doing their duty.
The Drug war continues because we, the American public, allow it to continue. As one of the New York City police heads stated, “it’s not the job of the police to tell society what to do. It’s the job of society to direct the police.” Society has to become more afraid of the drug war than they are of the drugs themselves. The drug user who is arrested and forced into 12 months probation is a victim of the War on Drugs. Officer Totely, however, made the ultimate sacrifice for this pointless struggle. Never on this earth has there been a drug free society and there never will.
By making their actions and beliefs illegal, the drug war establishment has successfully pushed the anti-war movement out of politics. This old stigma is changing, however, with even President Barack Obama saying the drug legalization is “a legitimate topic of debate.” Despite his positive words, Obama continues to persue the same failed drug policy that kills innocent civilians and police officers. Gil Kerlikowske, Obama’s appointed drug czar is unsurprisingly in favor of the militaristic tactics that have been used up until this point. Not until we get an elected official in the White House that supports legalization can we stop the American War on Drugs.
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