Widened View

Originally, I approached this issue very closed minded. Searching for all the evidence that backed up my opinion and not really taking into consideration the other side, but fighting it. Though my stance on the issue remains the same, my eyes have widened a great deal since I started researching the Drug War.
To begin with, I focused largely on major drug dealers/foreign affairs and drug prevention and regulation efforts. I feel strongly that drugs should be controlled and their use should be decreased. To back up my view point I found many shocking polls and statistics. For instance, a nationwide poll found that 1 in 5 adults have an immediate family member that was, at some point, addicted to drugs/alcohol. Along with these facts, I came across many stories of how drug abuse has ruined and affected so many families. It was also important to me to show readers that this drug problem isn't solely within the U.S. Drug trafficking is prominent throughout our bordering countries such as Mexico and Columbia. It was shocking to me that we are not controlling this distribution of drugs and that these major drug dealers aren't being busted. Through more research on the issue I have discovered that efforts are being made, but we first need regulation of enforcement systems and organizations in order to make the process effective. I continued my foreign affairs quest and took interest in Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S that is largely neglected. Puerto Rico has the highest crime rates throughout the U.S along with highest rate of unemployment. I believe that the U.S government should take responsibility for this deterioration.
I also found both positive Drug War efforts and negative ones. I originally simply focused on the negative ones, and why they were negative. However, I have realized that many of these deregulations are in order to benefit our nation in another way. Therefore, these efforts are not made just because our government doesn't care about the effects of drugs and addiction. I do still believe that more positive efforts need to be taken though, but maybe in different ways.
Now, as I proceed to look for cures of our nation's drug problem my primary focus is not how we can eliminate the presence of drugs (though this is still a concern of mine), but how we can help those addicted and affected by them. I have altered my efforts in enforcing treatments and rehab centers along with education. Programs such as The Watershed Addiction Treatment help people that have suffer from drug addiction. The presence of programs such as this around the nation can help many families and individuals. Also, regarding drug offenses resulting in imprisonment, I believe programs such as Our Place should be enforced. Our Place is a program in D.C to help incarcerated women return and reconnect with society when released. More specifically, I think that rehab centers within jailing systems would greatly decrease the amount of prisoners who return to drug abuse or crime when released. Therefore, rehab should most definitely be an option when enforcing regulation and prevention.
I have discovered that it is essential to look at all sides of an issue before taking a direct stance, because though my views seemed in every way right to me, they can be impossible to carry out at the same time. There are many factors in initiating change, and many steps must be taken (in the right order) to ensure that change.