Drug Abuse Is More Of A Health Issue
Editor:
I see a string of recent articles concerning drug use in Worcester County. One article struck a raw nerve with me in its judgmental tone by invoking “appropriately named Operation Street Sweeper” in a way that vilifies people rather than drugs. (“Multi-Agency Police Probe Busts Drug Dealers In Worcester,” May 10 The Dispatch.)
It is too easy to mollify the readership with catch phrases like “our allied agencies work day and night to keep our communities safe” and talk of “putting people behind bars.” But drug abuse is a health issue, not a criminal one, and we cannot just hand the problem off to the police and watch as our citizens get swept up into jail as the first and only solution.
I see other recent articles that fill me with hope that the community sees the big picture and wants to take a multi-faceted approach to understanding the problem and sort out its root causes. Particularly promising is Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby’s statement in the May 25 issue “… we can’t arrest our way out of this problem.”
With that in mind, I see a glaringly obvious cause that was actually mentioned elsewhere but then glossed over. It is that our youth are stressed with no end in sight as schools and parents push them with ever more and more homework and responsibilities far beyond the abilities of their years. Our nation watched in sadness as Japanese youth reached a record epidemic of suicide in the 1980’s for this same reason. Can we not learn from history and the mistakes of others?
I think it is time for the adults to stop assigning blame to drug users and take a look at ourselves for failing to properly educate our youth and failing to foster an environment which keeps them sane and happy without the drugs. This may include politically incorrect ideas such as demanding that schools reduce workloads on students. Or it may mean offering children even more opportunities to explore their dreams and growing skills.
After all, there truly is precious little to do in our rural area. It may be fit for quiet retirees, but energy-laden youth are out of luck. But I am gratified to see the discussion has begun and I hope the community finds the right balance soon.
Brian Demmler
Ocean City
Disturbing Weekend
Editor:
Ocean City often gets a bum rap. It is certainly more honkytonk than the Delaware beaches, but it also has a charming, quintessential beach town feel. I know the best and worst of Ocean City first hand as our vacation home “surf shack” is located in downtown Ocean City.
Memorial Day 2016 has me concerned about the long-term stability of Ocean City. Several disturbing incidents within a five-block area have been reported among friends. I am sure these same types of things were happening all over town.
A group of young people placed speakers on the seawall and twerked to the music. The loud music and sexually blatant moves were disturbing to beach and Boardwalk visitors. Luckily the police put a stop to it, but we do not need the type of visitor that thinks such actions are appropriate.
Sunday at 2 a.m., a group of shirtless (perhaps 30) tattooed males strolled through Wilmington Lane talking loudly and profanely about “messing someone up,” certainly felt like a gang action of some kind was in the works. The police eventually arrived and as far as I could tell they escorted the gang further down the lane as the group threatened the police.
There was a fight on the Boardwalk at 8th Street in broad daylight. There were threats made to a local family when folks were asked to move off of private property. A friend felt fearful pushing her child in a stroller on the Boardwalk because there was so much threatening activities going on.
Ocean City was once an “All American City” and it can be again if there is stricter law enforcement including regulating loud, obscene music from shops on the Boardwalk and beachgoers, enforcing prohibition of drinking on the beach (people do it in plain sight), less vape and piercing businesses, encouraging more single family residential development and putting a limit on mega bars.
OC government should reexamine how it attracts visitors. We do not need visitors that think it is okay to yell, curse, twerk, roam through alleys shirtless and fight and push their way up and down the Boardwalk. We need families who will respect the law and the quiet enjoyment of all beachgoers.
If I did not own a place in OC, I do not think I would want to vacation there anymore and that makes me sad.
Timmy Ruppersberger
Baltimore
No Patience For Bullying
Editor:
In the past few years the media has given a substantial amount of attention to different types of bullying. Children in school are reminded to respect their fellow classmates and not to belittle or tease one another about size, ability, or appearance. Parents are reminded that if they try to bully referees when they question their decisions, they are subject to being removed from a game.
Drivers who tailgate are technically bullying by trying to assert their importance and power over the driver in front of them. Even bumper stickers can send negative bullying messages, such as “FU you, I live here,” which is insulting to tourists who spend money at businesses in the community. A couple of years ago, I actually saw a bumper sticker that said, “My child beat up your honor student at _____Middle School.” That parent certainly isn’t sending a positive message to his own child as well as to anyone else who reads that.
There are endless examples of cyber bullying on Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media. An app called After School started out as a chat room for teens, but it eventually turned into a bullying site. Even though it is not an actual physical confrontation, apparently some users of social media feel that it is their prerogative to belittle or bully the person who made a comment with which they do not agree. Not every opinion that a person may voice deserves or commands a rebuttal. A friend of mine used to tell her two daughters, “You can think anything you want, but that doesn’t give you the right to say it.” Many parents try to control what their children do on the computer, which is in the child’s best interests, but some parents have also been known to bully other parents on Facebook about a conflict that arose in a sport or classroom situation, and, instead of trying to resolve it privately, resort to publicizing the problem to the entire community while trying to get other parents to take sides. That used to be called “throwing your weight around.” Whatever you choose to call it, it is adult bullying.
Perhaps the place that bullying is most prevalent every day is what happens politically on international, national, state, and local levels. Russia’s presence in the Ukraine is an example of one country bullying another. North Korea’s threatening South Korea and other nations with missile tests and hydrogen bombs is bullying. Threats by ISIS and Al Queda against other nations and religions are examples of bullying. Nationally, it is rare to see politicians work “across the aisle” anymore. The Congress and the Senate bully the President. Our local representative, Andy Harris, has a reputation for voting no or taking the opposite side on almost every issue. Surely, there must be an occasional bill which deserves a positive vote. Maryland is a great state. We deserve a better representative in Congress than Andy Harris.
Politicians are elected to serve. When there is name calling, grudge carrying, and perpetual obfuscating, very little gets accomplished. Most parents wouldn’t tolerate that behavior in their children, and yet, it seems to be “the new normal” in the current political scene. Donald Trump is exhibiting the very kind of behavior that most parents and teachers try to get their children or students to avoid — encouraging physical confrontation, bullying and belittling others. This is a great country; we have our problems, but electing a bully and a demagogue will not solve them. America deserves better than Donald Trump.
Locally, officials in the Ocean Pines Association need to be reminded that they were also elected to serve their constituency, solve problems, and work to improve life for everyone in the Ocean Pines community—not to pursue their personal agendas or vendettas. There are a few board members in the OPA who need to start practicing civility. They held the entire Ocean Pines community hostage for three or four years by insisting that Sandpiper Energy pay a franchise fee to the OPA in order to convert the community to natural gas. Ocean Pines has been bypassed and delayed due to bullying behavior by some members of the OPA for no good reason other than stubbornness. Sandpiper is a public utility offering a service for which consumers must pay.
OPA board members need to be reminded that they were elected to make this community a better place to live and to solve problems as they arise. They were not elected to manage the day-to-day operations in Ocean Pines. That is the job of the general manager. Lately, some of the arguments have deteriorated to physical threats or insisting on having the last word on every issue. These individuals are not being good examples of community leaders and are not doing the job that they were elected to do. Insulting each other only perpetuates conflict. This is a great place to live. The community deserves better behavior and leadership from the OP board. There are issues and problems that need to be addressed, but that must be done in an intelligent and adult manner.
Electing bullies to the OPA association does not solve problems or get things done! Ocean Pines residents should carefully select three individuals in the next election who will serve the community in a positive and intelligent manner. We deserve better behavior from our elected officials.
Jean Fry
Ocean Pines