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View Full Version : Anyone ready to meet Amy??



CGWildcat
01-08-2017, 11:04 PM
http://www.rogerelliottphotography.com/soiled-dove/

Darrell KSR
01-08-2017, 11:16 PM
Wow.

suncat05
01-09-2017, 01:34 PM
In my 35+ years as a LEO I have seen this in what seems to be a thousand times. Each time I see something like this I am amazed, saddened, angered, and wishing that these people get the right kind of help to break the chains of this addiction prison that they are in.
Anytime I see something like this I think about all of the potential these people have that is being lost to this poison and the scum that is selling it to them.

Krank
01-09-2017, 03:28 PM
CG, I give HUGE props to you for this project.

If there is ONE thing in this country that STILL gets terrible media coverage (i.e. the WRONG take) it's the miserably failed "drug war" and the continued lack of understanding for what addicts go through.

Now, I am not one to forgive just any kind of behavior, so that is NOT what I am saying, but if there is anything that folks should know, by now, it's that prison sentences do NOT help addicts. If anything, it makes it MUCH worse for them AND society. More effort, thought, and funding (yes, THAT too, lol) needs to go to rehab and working out ways that rehabbing addicts can contribute to society, positively, and/or help others who are newer to the ups and downs of addiction and recovery.

One more thing, and this is not a knock on suncat, but the dirty little secret to many outside of the "drug world" is that there are millions of low-level dealers who are NOT "scumbags", meaning they are only selling relatively small amounts, basically whatever they can get their hands on, to make THEIR addiction to the drug more affordable, i.e. those folks are addicts too.

Where the problem lies, when talking about dealers, is the major mafia and/or gang element involved, and the violence that comes with that. THOSE are the scumbags.

JMO.

Darrell KSR
01-09-2017, 03:57 PM
Krank, well-said. It's a horrible thing. Darryl lost his beloved son to the addiction; I lost my nephew. Others here have lost friends and family as well. It crosses all lines, affects all races, sexes, socio-economic levels, religions, and sports allegiances.

My wife's sister was so angry at her son she wanted to write an obituary that would have blistered his memory for the choices he made. Instead, she relied on the priest and others who talked her out of it, and focused instead on the fact that this young man had such a bright future--graduating from college that semester, already accepted into the MBA program, and, just, gone. Everybody that knew him knew why he was gone. The message was made clearer about what all was given up by choices he made a long time ago that resulted in his addiction.

The young lady in Coastie's blog is an incredible story. 33 years old, with children she has lost because of her addiction, not to mention the marriage. I have five children, three of whom who are grown, and two who are almost so. I can't imagine losing them for choices I made, but I also understand the terrible addiction that causes that behavior. There's no way to emphasize it enough.

I, too, mirror Suncat's wishes for those people to get the help they need to break those chains of addiction. They are so, so powerful.

Roger, thanks for the story. It really hit me hard seeing the pictures. The story is bad enough, but the photos that accompany it, from the lifestyle portrayed in the photos, to the "nutrition," to the addiction itself--just powerful. Very powerful.

CitizenBBN
01-09-2017, 05:26 PM
Krank --

As folks know I'm about as libertarian/conservative as one can get, which means I guess I'm pretty liberal on a lot of social issues but strong on law and order, and I am here to say that the "war on drugs" was an ill conceived idea that has been a complete, abject failure that makes Prohibition look like a success story.

In fact it is exactly the tale of Prohibition, proving that people simply refuse to learn the lessons of history.

there is no doubt alcohol caused a lot of issues in America and still do (thogh not like it did at that time largely b/c it was used in lieu of drugs a lot more), but the solution of banning it and jailing anyone who got near it was a horrid failure and eventually forced a full repeal.

Likewise, the war on drugs has done the same thing. Exactly the same thing.

1) it has NOT reduced the number of people on drugs. If anything the number has skyrocketed, including hard drugs that are stunningly awful like heroin.

2) It has created a vast black market that has financed the growth of a strong organized criminal element. In the 20s it was the mafia, now it is the mafia but also street gangs. Most of the violence in this country is a direct result of battles over drugs and drug turf, which is a battle over distribution rights and money for the drug trade.

3) It hasn't reduced the availability of drugs. In Prohibition it was estimated there were as many as 100,000 illegal bars in New York alone, and despite all our efforts you can FREAKIN' buy heroin in any school in this country, much less in any community. The supply is as high as ever.

4) It has led to widespread corruption. Chicago was famous for being run by crime bosses, and all over the country the bribery of police and judges and such was high. Today we have the same problems b/c there is so very much money involved in drugs and all people have to do is look the other way and pocket some easy money. It undermines the work of so many good people, back then and today.


So let's grow up and face the problem. While I'm all for jailing people who break the law, the truth is that this approach has failed before and is failing again, and short of suspending the constitution and letting us impose martial law no amount of enforcement will work.

So do what we have done to tobacco, which btw has seen real results in decreased consumption despite NEVER having a ban.

Legalize it, tax it, and spend the money trying to get people off of it. Drive the gangs and criminals out of the business, which reduces the massive cost in violence and property crime to society, cut out all the funding for DEA and put it into rehab and helping break addition, and then focus our law enforcement efforts on the far smaller elements that remain.

Problems must be met with the best solutions, not the solutions we want. I wish banning it would work, b/c I DESPISE drug use. I've never liked it around me even in the age range when people try such things. I just don't like it. But that clearly won't work, so let's find something that will.

BTW, this is all really a lesson in capitalism and Adam Smith. when people demand something, even when it's bad for them, markets will form to supply the demand. In all things, good and bad, the invisible hand of the market will insure that demands of consumers are met. All we have done is raise the barriers to entry, but we haven't got the power in a free society to really break the demand/supply relationship.

so instead of fighting the market, the only solution is to try to reduce demand. That's what we've done with tobacco, by taking something that was HUGELY popular and slowly convincing people it's an undesirable habit. Peer pressure and social norms have been far more effective than all the cops and jails we could have mustered. Do the same with drugs. It won't go away totally, but it NEVER was gone totally and won't be, but it will be far less than today and the overall exogenous costs in violence and property crime will be far far less, allowing us to have more resources to help those who are addicted.

We need to focus on helping those who are addicted. Do that and the dregs of society who prey on them, the gangs and pushers and their foreign and domestic suppliers, will fade away to the annals of history like the mobsters of the roaring 20s.

CitizenBBN
01-09-2017, 05:28 PM
Now as to the original question---

Meet her in pictures? It will be uncomfortable but yes, that's the point. Meet her in person? Honestly no, I think I'd rather pass on that one.

Great work, I want to be clear on that part. It's a powerful story to tell.

CGWildcat
01-09-2017, 10:17 PM
Thanks everyone. I was unaware to the reason of Darryl's loss. I hope he is not offended or bothered by this. My apologies on that. "Amy" is quite a character. She would call me "daddy" one minute, then start yelling at me telling me to get out of her room. Wait till you see Part 2.

PLEASE share the post. I'm really hoping for some major recognition on this.

blueboss
01-11-2017, 07:33 PM
Mrs. boss works in the field through the courts. I honestly don't know how she does it day in and day out. There is very little success especially now with the ease and low cost of obtaining heroine. She always tells me what keeps her going is when she saves just one it eases the frustration of the ones she couldn't save. She also does everything she can and uses all the tools available to get them treatment without using the prison system.

One of her biggest complaints now is the lack of state hospitals that offer treatment. Now everything is private and very expensive, and the few programs that are free the waiting list to get a bed is forever.

The courts do try and work with her to keep addicts out of the system. As long as it's possession charges or PI they have a a little more wiggle room to get them treatment. The problem comes from the other crimes that more and more addicts are committing to feed the rabid addiction of heroine. It's hard not to hand down a sentence when there is burglary, robbery, grand theft, embezzlement etc etc involved.

She keeps at it battling politicians and advocating for more treatment facilities, all while working with alcoholics and addicts day in day out...

Tough sledding right now and folks like my wife and Suncat who are in the trenches knows there is really no end in sight. I could go on and on but before long everyone will at least know someone that has been affected by addiction. We are losing an entire generation that will be evident in about 20 years from now... scary stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

PedroDaGr8
01-12-2017, 07:36 AM
A great piece, though I feel like this style of photography needs her face. The eyes are the window to the soul and I think that it needs her face to see her emotions. Also more to her backstory would be useful. How she got here, has she tried to get clean before, etc. This style of photography often is coupled with a detailed story now. How the life of the addict progresses each day, etc. A very great start though!


Pretty much everything CBBN said is spot-on

CGWildcat
01-12-2017, 10:04 AM
Pedro, I agree her face is needed. Thank you for that. However, she would never sign a release, she always insisted in my final edits I keep her face at least partially hidden. I DO have some images of her though, she simply wanted for herself. No glasses. Hmmmmmmmm......stay tuned, 2nd part will be out Sunday.