(5/9/98 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
It was about 8:00 p.m. on a recent Sunday night. I was on my way home from a speaking engagement. I stopped at a traffic light. While sitting there, a strange thing happened. A young man in a sweatsuit stood on the corner and said repeatedly in a loud voice, "Walk, don’t run! There’s plenty for everybody!" I watched as about 150 people suddenly gathered around the man in less than 30 seconds. They hurriedly came from all directions. There were teenagers, young adults, and middle aged folks . Most of their faces appeared to have sad and painful expressions. However, they all had very strong looks of determination. I was very curious as to what was going on. I soon found out.
The man in the sweatsuit ordered them to stand in lines. Then two other young men drove up to the corner, got out of their cars and went to the front of the lines and began to distribute drugs. It was clear that samples were being given to encourage future customers to purchase their drugs from certain dealers in the coming months. As folks left with there drugs in hand a feeling of total grief came upon me. When I arrived at my home I sat quietly for about two hours thinking about what I had just witnessed. Having grown up in a tough neighborhood I had witnessed many tragic incidents in my life. I had seen people die. For some reason this sample distribution seemed to depress me more than anything I had ever witnessed. I wondered why.
As I thought about the people standing in the lines, I kept reminding myself that they were once little children. I imagined them playing games such as "Hide and Go Seek", or learning their colors when they were 3 years old. I could not help but think about all of my childhood friends who died directly or indirectly because of drugs. One of those friends was Mark, who was fatally shot on his mother’s steps during a drive-by shooting. Another childhood classmate, Harold, died of AIDS after decades of drug abuse. Perhaps the thought that bothered me the most was the fact that the drug dealers also were once children full of hope, and looking forward to the very simple and innocent things that life could provide. Now they are salesmen of death, selling their products to the hopeless, and those who are in so much pain that they do not even know that they are in pain. I also thought about the two babies who sat on their mothers’ hips as these young women stood in line waiting to receive their samples. I asked myself what kind of effect would such unfortunate incidents have on their young minds. I wondered if they too would stand in the same types of lines in a few years.
I believe with all my heart that the drug problems will not be easily resolved. One thing is for sure, we can not build our way out of it by constructing thousands of jail cells to lock up those who need treatment. I was very pleased to learn that Mayor Kurt Schmoke has doubled the funding for the number of drug treatment slots in our city. I applaud his constant and strong efforts to address the health care needs of those caught in the web of drug abuse. Such efforts also reduce the demand for drugs.
As your Congressman, I have pushed hard for funds to aid state and local governments in their drug treatment efforts. I am committed to work closely with General Barry McCaffrey, who heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I support a national drug strategy which includes both domestic and international efforts to eradicate drug importing and trafficking.
In February 1998, I hosted General McCaffrey at the Edmondson Westside Senior High School where he launched Baltimore’s participation in the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Baltimore was selected as one of 12 test cities where anti-drug messages are being aired to reduce drug use among young people. The Congress has appropriated $195 million to be spent for this historic drug-prevention initiative.
However, we as a society must do more. We must make sure that our all children are provided the very best education possible. We have to constantly remind them that we love them and that they are great people. We must also be supportive of them as they travel the often confusing and dangerous roads of life. By doing these things our children will run toward a life filled with life and hope, instead of walking to a slow death.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.