Kerry DoughertyNo sooner had news broken that Virginia Beach Detective Michael Phillips had been shot to death during an undercover drug sting than it started.
A drumbeat, calling for our cops to either stop enforcing drug laws or to legalize drugs altogether.
It’s a harmonic convergence of bad ideas.
Some of the drummers were mean-spirited. Others were well-intentioned .
Such as the reader who wrote to me saying that the dead officer was a casualty “in this senseless, ridiculous War on Drugs … I hope you and I live to see the day when the good guys … are no longer getting killed by trying to save us from a plant.”
That implies Phillips’ murderer would have been in med school or working as an accountant had it not been for the lure of selling dope.
Please.
Others joined a rhetorical “is-marijuana-worth-the-life-of-a-cop” chorus. The answer, of course, is no. But we can also ask if a traffic stop is worth the price of a cop’s life. Or a domestic disturbance. Police officers are killed enforcing all sorts of laws. I’ve yet to hear anyone suggest we scrap our speed limits whenever a reckless driver kills a patrolman.
Fact is, we have a criminal element slithering around the shadows of our society. The bad guys don’t work for a living. They don’t save up to buy consumer goods. They don’t play by the rules.
They rob, steal and kill ordinary, decent people to get what they want. The root of all their evil, of course, is fast cash.
If the profit motive magically disappears from the drug trade, the dealers won’t head to college or take minimum-wage jobs. They’ll move on to other illegal activities. Instead of peddling pot and pills, they’ll stick up convenience stores or rob banks. And add to society’s mayhem.
It’s what they do.
Anyone who’d walk up to a stranger in a dark parking lot – as the killer of Phillips did – and pump three shots into a man they don’t know is beyond redemption.
The war on drugs isn’t to blame for the death of Phillips. The thug culture is.
Adding fuel to the let’s-surrender-the-war-on-drugs debate was that Phillips’ death came just months after the slaying of Chesapeake police Detective Jarrod Shivers.
The cases are similar but not the same.
Shivers was killed in January while executing a search warrant – at night – at the home of a man suspected of growing marijuana. In the months since the tragedy, there has been no good explanation as to why the officers had been ordered to surprise the suspect at home at night. The guy reportedly had a job and a regular routine. Seems there might have been easier, safer ways to detain the suspect and search his house.
Phillips, on the other hand, died while working an undercover operation in Green Run. There’s no better way to catch drug dealers than to go on their turf and buy what they’re selling.
Drug stings are risky business. That’s why the highly trained officers who run them take so many precautions.
Sadly, that isn’t always enough when dealing with the violent dregs of society.
Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net
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What is the ratio of gangs
What is the ratio of gangs and killers selling marijuana to college kids, hippies, and regular folks selling marijuana?
I am not a cop
For the cop who commented below. I am not a cop, But as I was growing up I got caught 4 times by the police. 4 times I was let go. I think the police are more in the know than those who write the laws.
Drug Test
Recent articles and letters have suggested legalizing marijuana. The costs in terms of lives lost in the ‘war on drugs’ is unacceptable. If you want pot legalized, develop a test for intoxication. First let me say, I don’t use dope, don’t want to and don’t care if you do. Think about it. Current tests for marijuana can tell if you have used within the past 4 weeks. I’m pretty confident that if you “fired up” today and did not use again for three and a half weeks, you would be “sober” but still test “positive” for use. I’m also willing to believe there are tests which could detect the use of alcohol long after the “high” is worn off. But the tests used for alcohol intoxication don’t look at long term use. They compare current blood / breath levels to legislated limits.
IF a test were developed to measure the current level of marijuana intoxication, I think that would be a good first step toward legaliza
Put the blame where it belongs
Blame the PROHIBITION of marijuana for Officer Phillips death! He was doing his job, yes, but what would he have accomplished if he had not been killed? Assuming the goal was to arrest a drug dealer, would that arrest have stopped the distribution of marijuana in Virginia Beach? Would it have any impact at all? No, drug dealers accept arrest and jail as a condition of their employment! That drug dealer would have been replaced by another before the ink was dry on his fingerprints at booking. I am personally saddened that another husband and father has been taken from his family by this senseless prohibition. How many more have to die before we, the people, take action? The Federal government needs to get out of the drug prohibition business and let the states decide. Tell your U.S. Representatives that you support H.R. 5843 "Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by
One other thing...
With all the talk about pot being a gateway drug, it might also be shown that those who take drugs most likely use alcohol too, making it a gateway in this type of wierd reasoning. Aside from that, Kerry, through her point about criminals moving on to worse crimes is implying that selling pot is a gateway crime. By that reasoning, should we not legalize pot so that more people won't get sucked into a life of crime?
Thank you for pointing that out
I was confused... Thank you
asnerj
The libelous post by JOHNL20927 was flagged and removed. Ed Baskins' post was not the offender. In fact Ed and I agree on this issue.
With the break in the thread it's easy to understand the confusion.
George K could you explain whats cowardly in the statement prior
I'm not connecting the your reasoning. I would like to understand your position
Finally
"It's only a Matter of Time
Submitted by JockamoRasputin on Sat, 08/16/2008 at 11:42 pm.
I'm a Cop. I Strongly believe that Marijuana should be Decriminalized. There are Too many reasons to list. So I won't."
Good to finally see a police officer think for themselves once. Majority are robots(thats why they all look alike). They don't think they just do. My father got his faced smashed in for civil rights in the 1960's. The police officer only acted. They never thought that the cause of this movement was needed and would benefit all man kind. They get their orders and do as their told. Wouldn't you want someone with a mind of their own protecting you.
Ignores the lessons of history
The biggest problem with Kerry's reasoning is that she holds a "zero sum game" view of criminality. That criminals are allocated from a fixed size pool amongst whatever sort of criminal enterprises exist at that time.
There is overwhelming evidence that criminals enter into and leave a life of crime based on the profitability, risk and accessibility of those crimes.
Look at the example of alcohol's prohibition. The murder rate in the United States rose dramatically throughout the twenties as prohibition-related crime skyrocketed. It likewise suddenly dropped after 1933, at prohibition's end.
The drug war is nothing but welfare for violent gangs. It creates unnaturally high prices and floods money and guns into the hands of criminals.
johnl20927= cowardly libel
The only medications I do are Dr. prescribed.I am currently fighting cancer. I am over 60 years old and retired. Sounds like you had a little too much of some substance.
johnl20927
Funny thing, back in the late 70's, all the kids smoked pot because it was easier to get than alchohol because alchohol was regulated, pot was not. I am not sure what the story is today, but I am sure this is still the case.
Bravo
Well reasoned and well written. Unlike comments that imply prohibition was written for profit. At least the author did her homework and didn't spew factless comments.
spend the money we spend on drug crime
and apply it to capturing the punks and gang members and we will eleminate the majority of our drug problem.
Prohibition will never work
Prohibition was created for profit. Criminals love prohibition. America has used cannabis since 1619. Demand for the "forbidden fruit" cannabis has grown 3000% since Nixon declared the "war on drugs". Cannabis prohibtion began with the deceptive 1937 Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. Prohibition lives by deception. Cannabis prohibition has met none of it's goals, except profit. Transfering resposibilty for prohibition related murders over to cannabis is the most insidious deception of all. Unlike alcohol, or tobacco, cannabis itself does not kill the user, or anyone else. Restore cannabis control via legalization. Reduce profits, reduce crime. De-link kids from criminals. No drug ads. Factual education, not scare-tactics. Merchants are age restriction compliant 90% of the time. Criminals aren't.
iF YOU THINK ABOUT IT
Kerry, is advocating keeping the criminals busy with unnecessary prohibitions so they wont do real crimes.
She just writes stupid stuff so more people will post in the forum and the nerdy editors use this to show some measure of success and social engagement as they continue to turn the Pilot into a shopping mall rag. I post here because I am addicted to the internet and have no life.
The only hope for me is to make the internets illegal and rapid legislation for greater regulation of our hearts and minds.
Overkill
Yes, it is terrible that this detective was killed in the line of duty, I am not disputing that in the least, BUT there have been soldiers killed in the line of duty for years now and not ONE of them gets a weeks worth of coverage in this newspaper. They (the city) does not shut down a MAJOR road (Kempsville Rd) for their funeral. Their funerals are not televised live on the local stations. Are we saying that both of these lives are not equal? Both groups of individuals (Police Officers, Soldiers) know that they are putting their lives at risk everday. Its part of their job. Like I said, yes its terrible, but lets put it behind us and move on. Let this man rest in peace, and remember, he is not the only person dying in this city.
Kerry.. One less so-called drug to police
Marijuana has beneficial uses I won't go into. The fact that it is criminalized in fact serves the criminal element. However, I for one only see this correlation between VB and Chesapeake incident as neither would have occurred if the plant was legalized. Two lives saved and countless others probably. This is what reasonable people are saying. This herb is used in our culture more then any other that is deemed criminal and this is what makes a specific law or the enforcement of this law so out of context of someone dying to uphold it. I hold up the end of prohibition to counter all the logical arguments sure to come on the other side of marijuana's illegality. Standing firmly on the rights of individuals to do as they see fit, especially in regards to the example brings up here. Not a great editorial Kerry, but you do allow the reasonability of my augment to flourish by your own lack of real insight.
Amen, Kerry
Once again, you are totally correct. And, as usual, there are the numerous negative reactions to what is the truth. Well, you know what they say.... sometimes, the truth hurts.
Kerry,
Thank you for coming up with one of the most ridiculous reasons to keep pot illegal. You are actually serious in implying that we should keep pot legal so that criminals will not move on to more serious crimes??? The thing that you fail to see here is that if it were legal, it would shut down one more avenue for people to get started in crime.
It's only a Matter of Time
I'm a Cop. I Strongly believe that Marijuana should be Decriminalized. There are Too many reasons to list. So I won't.
Invalid syllogisms
Invalid syllogisms
“Such as the reader who wrote to me saying that the dead officer was a casualty 'in this senseless, ridiculous War on Drugs... I hope you and I live to see the day when the good guys... are no longer getting killed by trying to save us from a plant.'
That implies Phillips' murderer would have been in med school or working as an accountant had it not been for the lure of selling dope.”
No it doesn't. You just pulled that out of...well, you know.
“If the profit motive magically disappears from the drug trade, the dealers won't head to college or take minimum-wage jobs. They'll move on to other illegal activities. Instead of peddling pot, crack and pills, they'll pimp, stick up convenience stores or rob banks. And add to society's mayhem.”
Just like after the repeal of alcohol's prohibition? Crime really went up then didn't it?
All philosophers are professors.
All philosophers a
Invalid syllogisms
Invalid syllogisms
“Such as the reader who wrote to me saying that the dead officer was a casualty 'in this senseless, ridiculous War on Drugs... I hope you and I live to see the day when the good guys... are no longer getting killed by trying to save us from a plant.'
That implies Phillips' murderer would have been in med school or working as an accountant had it not been for the lure of selling dope.”
No it doesn't. You just pulled that out of...well, you know.
“If the profit motive magically disappears from the drug trade, the dealers won't head to college or take minimum-wage jobs. They'll move on to other illegal activities. Instead of peddling pot, crack and pills, they'll pimp, stick up convenience stores or rob banks. And add to society's mayhem.”
Just like after the repeal of alcohol's prohibition? Crime really went up then didn't?
All philosophers are professors.
All philosophers are logicians.
Therefore, All logicians are professors. Right, Kerry?
Thanks, Kerry!
Someone needed to say that.
And did you trace Porter's dad back to his crime? Walked into a Kempsville bank in 2005 or 2006 and blew away a loan officer who had turned him down for a loan a couple of years before. Sounds like a family that was not going to live by conventional means no matter what! Cheers, MGM