A publication of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ®
An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
February 2002/March 2002
Veterans Against Drugs Task Force Report
Get Involved
BY HERB WORTHINGTON, CHAIR
Since September
11th, everyone I know has been in a sort of daze. As veterans, we
have seen attacks before, but nothing the size of the one on 9-11.
Never have we even read about an attack of such magnitude on our
own soil. So, what can we do about it?
As a service officer for VVA, I had ten calls within the week
following the attacks from Vietnam veterans asking if I knew where
they could sign up. Even a veteran in a wheelchair called. He told
me that he may not be able to run anymore, but he can still shoot
straight.
We know we can't enlist, so let's look at this another way. How is
Bin Laden raising money to support his terrorist acts and attacks?
The original funds came from his Saudi family, but what keeps the
money coming in? The answer is his poppy fields. It has been said
that over 80 percent of the heroin coming into the United States
can be traced back to Bin Laden's poppy fields. Bin Laden said he
knows how to bring America down. Through his drugs he is going
after our youth and our future.
We often turn our heads away from the fact that drugs are
prevalent in our country and among our youth. We recognize that
there is violence among our youth in schools, but we must focus on
where it begins. Much of the violence begins with drug use.
I'm sure you now realize how nasty Bin Laden is. You may not see a
way that you can go after him, even though you would love to.
Here's my challenge to you:
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Get involved. Start
a Veterans Against Drugs program in your town. Fight back,
don't let him take our youth down the way he took down the World
Trade Center. VVA's motto is "In Service to America." What better
service to America can you perform than to talk to our youth?
You'll talk to a lot of kids through this program, and you will
reach some young people who will stop using drugs or who will
realize the kids in the gang aren't their friends. Those are the
magic words that make all of the hard work worth it. |
Let "Remember 9-11" be our little battle cry like
"Remember the
Maine" or "Remember the Alamo." You have the challenge. What do
you say?■
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