Saturday, February 21, 2009

Get On Board!

As I have been doing errands and passing through town I noticed a new small business located right in the middle of town. Now I really thought my eyes were lying to me, so I have made it a point to check this out in more detail.

Yes, I was seeing correctly. Water pipes in the windows (bongs), and other drug paraphernalia used to smoke pot and hash. Small mirrors and straws in kits for cocaine. Oh wait I did not use the proper terminology that is required to obtain a permit to open such a shop "Pipe and tobacco supplies". Bottom line is a head shop sells devices for the use of illegal drugs. What rock is our county officials living under?

Now this is a really small town with the local middle school within walking distance of the shop. The shop is located directly across from the town hall, police station, and our local county representatives office. Who gave them the permit? Have people lost their minds? Are they that removed that they do not know what problems this can create?

I am just flabbergasted and I don't have children! I am worried about doing the correct speed in town and then see this. I have made every effort to make sure everyone I come in contact with knows about this shop and from what I have heard it has made the papers. My next step is to contact the mayor and even get a petition up if need be to rid this small town of the last thing that is needed. Why even have this shop here because the demographics just don't match up unless it consists of young adults? Could it be that our own good ole boys club that seems to be running things are actually doobie kings from and era gone by? Maybe they are not making a good salary and have a little extra curricular import business they are involved in to support a lifestyle they yearn for.

Young adults are curious and will experiment and that is expected, but why dangle the temptation right in front of them. Why expose them to something that can lead to a life of drug abuse. I understand that this does not happen to all kids but do you want your child to be that one in five that becomes addicted, that one in ten that is killed in an accident from substance abuse, or that one in fifteen that will spend years in and out of prison? I don't actually know the numbers but I can bet they are astronomical.

The exposure our society has placed on young adults with the justification that they will make up their own minds fails to realize that children and young adults need to mature and develop their mind before the exposure happens. Lets just look at the numbers because they don't lie.

From 1970 compared to 2000 has the rate of teen pregnancy went up? Has teen drug use and addiction increased? Has the number of suicides, arrests, and deaths increased? I for one think that citizens need to become more involved in their communities to keep up on what is happening to keep their community safe. What disgust me is that the city would not put up a skate board ramp due to legal reasons if someone got hurt. The city could not afford the insurance. But of course a bong shop is okay. I hope they get their heads out of their butts (that's putting it nicely) and GET ON BOARD!!!

4 comments:

Ken Riches said...

Shameful and a waste of store space.

mortonlake said...

we get em over here too kelly.i do wonder just what in hell is happening,when our (UK) government pass a law that will mean tobacoo and cigerettes must be kept under the counter and not advertised,but shops selling the sort of crap you describe are allowed to operate.take care,mort xx

betty said...

we have one here that's called a "smoke shop" but they sell paraphenilia as you described. my son educated me on how they could legally sell that stuff;

good luck, Kelly, I hope you can get that shop out of your town; its a shame its so close to a school too!

betty

Lucy said...

I hate to tell you this but it has been going on for years. We had a building on So. 27 that advertised the stuff but he finally got closed down. Lucy