The drug war: America's killing field
It's 5 a.m. You're awakened by shouting and other commotion from the first floor of your home. Suddenly, two men open the door to your bedroom. You're armed. What would you do?
In the early hours Friday, the quiet neighborhood of Gray Haven awoke to gunfire and the booming sounds of a police raid that resulted in the death of a woman well known in the community.
Just before 5 a.m., officers from the Baltimore County Police Tactical Unit were serving a search and seizure warrant related to a narcotics investigation at a home in the 8100 block of Del Haven Road when two officers approached the bedroom door on the second floor, according to police spokesman Ofc. Shawn Vinson.
When they opened the door, the officers allegedly were met by Cheryl Noel, 44, who was pointing a handgun at them, Vinson said.
Yes, of course she was pointing a gun at them. And her home isn't the only one in America where you'll be looking at the business end of a handgun if you open a bedroom door at 5 a.m.
Fearing for his life, one officer fired three shots, according to Vinson, striking and killing Noel.
I bet the officer did fear for his life. But he wasn't the only -- or the first -- fearful person in that house, was he?
Ms. Noel died so that police could charge her husband, her son and her son's girlfriend each with a single count of possession of marijuana. All were released on their own recognizance.
In commenting on this story, Pete Guither of Drug War Rant writes:
What then would be the reason to storm the house in the early morning? To prevent flushing. The standard reason for this kind of drug raid -- they're afraid someone's going to destroy the evidence. That's why they use this extremely dangerous assault technique.
And you know what that means...
To the drug warrior, evidence has a higher value than people's lives.
And evidence of marijuana, no less. Marijuana. A substance ubiquitous in every city in America.
Although the term "drug war" misappropriates the word war, it is accurate in one respect. People die in war. We can justify their deaths if they serve a large and noble cause.
What cause was served by Ms. Noel's death? Democracy? Freedom? In the wake of her killing, is there even any less pot on our streets?