That
was a shocking case in Buncrana, Co Donegal the other day, wasn’t it? A young 24-year-old,
the father of two children, shot dead by a group called Republican Action
Against Drugs. A Derry priest says that near to 40 people – including this
young man - have been driven out
of Derry by the group. This man made the
mistake of coming back, apparently, and has paid the price. The
group “are imposing their law on people as judge and jury and now executioners”
Fr Michael Canny says. How can this be allowed to happen?
Simple
– because there's a degree of support for it in the community. The official line is that these people
have intimidated the community, have no support but people are afraid to speak out against them.
I’m sure that’s partly true. But I’m equally sure that there are people in the
community who know the stupidity and hopelessness of the “war on drugs” that
we’re told is being waged here and throughout the Western world. Can there ever
have been a longer and more unsuccessful war? Everyone knows that drugs, soft
and hard, can be bought. When a
parent sees his or her child at risk or suffering from the ravages of hard
drugs, they feel desperate and helpless. To hope the police or the judicial
system will solve the problem for them and their child is hoping for the
impossible. And so, when they see a group which drives drug-pushers out of the
community, do you think they draw back and say “But this is lawless! This is
abhorrent!” Uh-uh. They may not say it aloud but they are glad, very glad that someone, anyone is lessening the chances of their child’s life being ruined. They don’t
give a damn if it’s against the law or encouraging the law of the jungle, or
even if it results in the death of one of the drug dealers. A similar attitude obtained during the Troubles, when the IRA and other groups knee-capped anti-social elements in the
community. If you see every other avenue closed to you, you turn to the people who will solve your problem for you, and very glad you are to do so. The wider ethical issue of an orderly
society governed by the forces of law and order? The hell with that.
The
case of this unfortunate 24-year-old raises two issues, then. One is the
international war against drugs, which is unwinnable, and it’s time the
authorities stopped mouthing platitudes and tried another route. The other is the question
of support in the community for groups like Republican Action Against Drugs. The “republican” tag is a joke; but so too is the claim that nobody
wants them or their judge-jury-executioner approach. As long as the problem
remains and people see the forces of law-and-order failing to act with similar swift effectiveness, they’ll have the support and even gratitude of some - in fact quite a few - in the community.
Jude
ReplyDeleteIn the long term the approach to the drug problem will need to change. It's hard to see any party being bold enough to call for lagalisation or even decriminalisation though.
What is Sinn fein policy on that?
Gio - I've no idea. I think some form of legalisation, internationally, is the ultimate answer.
ReplyDeleteJude, some interesting points there, that have some logic to them, the whole "war" on drugs is in some ways, a farce, Mexico (look it up, its barbaric) and Colombia (CIA) being the two high profile world wide examples.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you added, in a way, doesnt make sense. "A similar attitude obtained during the Troubles, when the IRA and other groups knee-capped anti-social elements in the community."
You could say, that it was less to do with controlling anti - social elements within the community, and more to do with gaining greater control of the drugs market.
They are doing what the IRA did under the name Direct Action Against Drugs
ReplyDelete