I sit here with indescribable feelings. I just finished reading an article I found online about Ramarley Graham; an 18-year-old unarmed boy who was shot and killed by police in his own home in the Bronx. I will allow you to read the article instead of explaining it all, or if you prefer here is a short video with some surveillance clips of the incident. This lost life was simply due to our War on Drugs.

I do not envy the police and the job we continue to make more and more difficult for them. The problem here is these officers did not operate with in the law. They, from my knowledge, had no evidence yet followed, broke in, and shot this boy because they suspected he had drugs and a gun. They were wrong! Well at least about the gun, and if we start shooting people for having some dried plant I am really worried for our nation. I can understand a police-person’s fear of being shot. What I can not understand is why would you shoot to kill, why not shoot his arm going for the assumed gun, or his foot for that matter? Why not use a taser?

Police are around to keep us safe not treat us like criminals. Personally I do not feel like I am innocent until proven guilty, I feel like I am viewed as a potential criminal by the police. And I am a White, 27-year-old who lives near Portland, OR. I feel for the Graham family. This War on Drugs we have created has caused more pain and destruction than heroin does to the addict. We have Pharmacies on every corner, mandated health insurance by 2014, and our obesity rates are breaking the scale. Do you see a War on Fast Food? Do you see a War on getting our youth addicted to sugar and caffeine? Do you see a War on Pharmaceuticals? No. Why? Because they make rich people more money. Because these things do not always show how cruel they are until it is too late. I challenge you, I challenge you to really think about your beliefs. Can you find reason behind this War on Drugs? I would be more than glad to hear it because all I see is people being thrown in Jail for using a drug, many of which are safer than legal pharmaceuticals. Most of these people are not criminals other than for breaking an archaic law and because of that their chances at making an honest life next to nothing. I see lives being destroyed and people being killed. I see this “problem” of drug usage getting worse not better. We need to change something, we need to not continue down this path. I am afraid to see what happens if we do.

So Much I could say about this but I am very curious in your thoughts on this so keeping it short today.

If you would like a more known news source, here is a NY Times article.