BRATTLEBORO — I am not an addict dependent on illegal substances, but I am fast becoming an addict for grassroots change.
While I am sympathetic to the comments of David Boyer of Newfane in a recent letter in the Reformer, they are not being directed to the proper authority.
The Brattleboro Police Department and the Brattleboro Selectboard are able to carry out and enforce laws that are supported by Vermont legislation, and therein lies the rub.
Many of you know me as a champion for addiction education in our community. Many of you also know me as a daughter, a mother, and grandmother.
When recently one of my closest relatives was desperate enough to break into my home due to an opiate addiction and rob me of personal possessions, I was saddened yet not at all surprised by this violation of trust.
What became evident to me and more importantly surprising was the manner in which the legal system treated this criminal activity. The description that comes to mind is “In-N-Out Burger” (a fast-food chain in California).
After describing this incident to an officer from our local police department, I learned the following morning that my home was not the only target for theft by my loved one.
While my charge is still pending, the other incident was far more damaging and an arrest was made pretty quickly. An accomplice was involved in the larger incident, and both were taken into custody, yet then released with an order to appear in court later in 2017.
Neither the local nor state police are entitled to hold someone who has been accused of a crime until they have a fair hearing. Decisions are made on the bench dictated by the laws in our state.
I have not begun the journey to educate myself about Vermont legislation, but I am getting close because I am mad as hell.
“Addiction” and “substance misuse” are terms that appear in headlines of nearly every piece of printed material today. Addiction is a brain disease, and people who are suffering need the help and support of us all.
Despite best efforts, stigma remains. Unless you have been personally affected by a loved one, friend or acquaintance, please take your head out of the sand and get educated.
As I have said before, the very fabric of our nation has been forever changed by this tragic epidemic and it isn't going to go away anytime soon unless people like you and me take a stand and say, “No, we won't take this anymore.”
This is why I am writing today; this is why I am not collapsing into sorrow over my loved one but standing up and saying, “No more.”