It’s hard to believe that we live in a day and age where elected officials, community leaders, and those affected by the ongoing drug epidemic, namely at the hands of fentanyl, must literally beg and routinely call on Albany to pass common sense laws and changes. Every decade has its own drug of choice and associated problems, but the consensus seems to be that the government’s indecision to act is unprecedented by previous standards.
The problem is multi-faceted, not just owed to teenagers and young adults experimenting with new drugs and paying an unfortunate price for a little bit of fun. With that, we’d say a scary ad campaign and some gruesome photos and accounts would probably be enough to dissuade teens from using. Anyone else who decides to soldier forward does so at their expense.
But this problem is not as simple as an ad campaign and natural selection. It’s a multi-speared issue brought on by egregiously retroactive criminal justice reform, a porous border with a carte blanche system of handling immigrants, and a “hurt-no-feelings” attitude in an increasingly “open-minded” world. How dare we speak candidly of the personal and societal problems brought on by rampant and habitual drug use? Shame isn’t the game, as there should be no shame in admitting a problem. After all, admitting a problem is the first step in solving it. But wouldn’t a feeling of intrinsic shame or guilt prompt more to make a change in their lives?
We’re not saying that our society should make it a point to shame people for the sake of shaming them, but treating them with kid gloves because we live in a “you do you” society doesn’t exactly benefit us in the long run. It makes us complacent, compulsive demagogues.
Look no further than Oregon, where all drugs were decriminalized a couple of years ago. Not only has Portland fallen into complete disrepair, but the streets are full of homeless people with no other prospects than chasing the next high. The city and state won’t demand people try harder because we’ve decided that since success is subjective, there’s no reason in pushing standards on people. Furthermore, since we’ve convinced everyone the world is ending in ten years due to climate change and removed God entirely from society, there’s no reason in pursuing any form of happiness or structure altogether.
The question is: how long will it take New York to stoop to Portland’s level? The migrant crisis only makes matters worse. The border is unequivocally a smuggling route for hard drugs that turn every state into a border state. It has been for years. But even if most of the migrants coming here illegally aren’t doing so for drug-related purposes, we see the lion’s share of attention and local resources – where applicable – going to “solve” a problem that leadership created instead of putting funds into public safety for our own citizens.
Albany also took it upon itself to reform our bail laws to make sure that most drug-related offenses aren’t bail eligible. Only when eight ounces of the highly-deadly fentanyl is dealt can prosecutors request bail.
In other words, enough fentanyl to kill 114,000 people must be sold in order to let the law take its course.
Furthermore, Albany has had multiple situations in which cards were on the table and they decided not to ante up. Legislation sponsored by Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) would have made xylazine, also known as Tranq, a controlled substance. The cattle sedative and pain reliever has been known to be cut with other drugs since it’s cheap, accessible, and creates a much more euphoric high. Known as the “zombie drug,” those inebriated on Tranq are identified by their staggering movements and slurred speech. It also rots flesh clean off the bone.
Murray’s bill was constructed with input from farmers and those who require xylazine for its intended uses. Democrats shot it down citing “access concerns.” It’s a lame excuse in our opinion, since the bill’s architects took access into account.
Ingesting medicine for cows and horses is just the latest wave of degeneracy perpetrated by Albany’s unwillingness to act in an increasingly secular humanist society.
There are just weeks left on the legislative calendar for the Assembly and Senate. It’s a shame that we have a run-out-the-clock scenario going on, but it’s unfortunately no surprise given how desperate the public is for normalcy and how intent Albany is on digging their heels in the ground and caving to the vast minority of voters.
In the end, their inaction will only prompt more action. Hopefully, the action is that of actual change and a reassessment of New York’s priorities.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. In New York, it might take a strong coalition of villages, hamlets, and cities to reprimand the children in Albany.
