Donald Trump Is Ready to Start Executing Minorities Under the Guise of Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

Let me first disclose, for those who don't know, there is no one who takes the opioid epidemic more serious than I do.  I lost my oldest child to the epidemic.  She was smart and beautiful.  She had everything to live for and was maintaining a 3.62 GPA in nursing school while also working a full-time job.  She was not the image most people think of when you think of "heroin addict."  But here I am, with it going on five years since her addiction became undeniable and instead of getting help for it she chose to commit suicide.  Not a day goes by that I don't wish she was still here.

With that in mind, I read about Donald Trump's appearance yesterday (March 19, 2018) in my state.  You know, New Hampshire.  The "drug-infested den" he describes the state as.  And drugs are truly a problem in rural areas, but that's another post.

Trump came to New Hampshire, a state that is still very, very white, and pointed the blame for the drug epidemic squarely on the shoulders of those who live in "big cities" and come up here as well as "illegal immigrants."  He might as well have said niggers and spics.  I hear those words when I am in the restaurants around here the locals hang out in.  They use them without impunity; without fear or repercussion.  Trump knew what audience he was playing to.  I am sure there are plenty who lap it up.

Later on, he stated: “Unless you have really, really powerful penalties, led by the death penalty, for the really bad pushers and abusers, we are going to get nowhere, and believe me, we are going to get somewhere.”

Read that.

Pushers and abusers.

Then think about where he's squarely placing the blame for the epidemic.

Might as well start building the concentration camps now.

Many people who are caught up in addiction end up selling because they need to feed their addiction. They need more help and more availability of beds to get clean, and more reasons to get clean and stay clean.  That has more to do with the disastrous economic policies since the 1970's that have resulted in a decline in the number of jobs someone can support themselves and a family on.  Give someone little hope of a decent future, and they are more susceptible to getting caught in the throes of addiction.

Would my daughter be one of the "abusers" that would be executed?  Somehow, I doubt that's part of his plan.  I am sure the white kids caught up will get treatment, while it would be different for others.  I wonder how long it would be before people were turning in their black and hispanic neighbors as "dealers" and we started seeing them vanish in the night.

Trump might have been up here to talk about the opioid crisis, but what he proposed is one of the scariest things I've ever heard in this country.  Don't be fooled by the language.

Comments

  1. knottyMarch 20, 2018 at 8:11 AM

    Very insightful post! It's not something I would have considered, but I think you make perfect sense. It's chilling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PattiNHMarch 20, 2018 at 8:19 AM

    It is chilling. And I don't want this done in my daughter's name, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DeniseMarch 20, 2018 at 9:15 AM

    A very thoughtful, heartfelt piece.

    I commented briefly (well, briefly for me...) on Facebook on this topic. I know how you grieve for you daughter. I am sorry. This scapegoating would not have done her any good. It will not go anyone any good. If anything, it makes things worse.

    I have two nieces in their mid-twenties who are heroin addicts. Killing people would do them no good. Scapegoating would do them no good. Only treatment, offering alternatives would do anyone any good.

    I wish you all the best, Patti. Take care of yourself. Thanks for your piece.

    ReplyDelete

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