THE 1980'S AND THE DEVIL'S CANDY

THE 1980'S AND THE DEVIL'S CANDY

THE INFAMOUS 1980'S! THE ERA IN WHICH I WAS INTRODUCED TO THIS WORLD WAS BOTH A INTERESTING AND CHAOTIC TIME PERIOD IN AMERICAN HISTORY. IT BROUGHT ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY WHICH WAS THE BEGINNING OF ALL THE GADGETS THAT PEOPLE CAN'T DO WITHOUT TODAY, AS WELL AS THE EXPLOSION OF THE NEW BREED OF WORLD WIDE ICONS (MICHAEL JORDAN, MICHAEL JACKSON). ALL THOUGH THESE CREATIONS WERE TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF EVERY DAY LIFE FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON SOMETHING MUCH MORE SINISTER WAS SOON TO SHOW UP ON THE SCENE. THE DECADE IN WHICH MY LIFE BEGAN WAS THE BIGGEST DRUG ERA THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER OR WILL EVER SEE GOD WILLING. THE INTRODUCTION OF MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF COCAINE BEING IMPORTED LARGELY FROM THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY OF COLUMBIA WOULD QUICKLY MAKE MANY PEOPLE RICH AND CAUSE ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION AMONGST A WHOLE GENERATION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

COCAINE IN ITS POWDER FORM IS A DANGEROUS MIND ALTERING DRUG PRODUCED FROM THE NATIVE COCA LEAVES OF SOUTH AMERICA HIT AMERICA LIKE A EPIDEMIC THAT SOON WOULD SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL. COCAINE WHICH IS MOST USED BY INGESTING THROUGH THE NOSE WAS DURING THIS TIME EFFECTING ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY, BUT BEING EXPENSIVE IT WAS MORE COMMONLY USED BY THE UPPER CRUST, PEOPLE SUCH AS LAWYERS, JUDGES, DOCTORS, TEACHERS AND OTHERS THAT YOU WOULDN'T INITIALLY THINK WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY. LARGELY IGNORED BY THE MEDIA AND THOSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT SOMETHING EVEN MORE TERRIBLE WAS ON THE HORIZON.

CRACK COCAINE WHICH IS A COOKED FORM OF ITS POWDER FORM WAS INTRODUCED AND BROUGHT ABOUT HORRENDOUS CHANGES THAT WOULD FOREVER ALTER LIFE IN URBAN AND EVEN RURAL ERAS OF THE COUNTRY. AS A CHEAP AND INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE DRUG ITS USERS QUICKLY WOULD LOSE THEIR DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND MORALS IN THEIR QUEST FOR THE NEXT HIGH. THE PEOPLE WHO SOLD THE DRUG SAW LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY IN RETURN THAT MANY NEVER THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE. WHILE IT GAVE A WAY FOR THOSE UNDERPRIVILEGED IN GHETTOS A WAY TO MAKE GREAT MONEY AND RISE OUT OF POVERTY, IT UNLEASHED A WAVE OF ADDICTION, DEATH, AND GREED THAT WAS NEVER EXPECTED. DEALERS BEGAN TO WAR OVER TERRITORY TO MAKE SALES CAUSING CRIME NUMBERS IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES TO SKYROCKET. PEOPLE THAT WERE ONCE GOOD AND RESPECTABLE CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS WERE NOW SLAVES TO THEIR ADDICTION, WHILE THOSE INVOLVED IN SALES PROSPERED AND BECAME RICH. THE DEVIL IT SEEMED HAD A DEATH GRIP ON THE POOR COMMUNITIES OF THE AMERICA.

AS A CHILD I SAW THE EFFECTS OF THESE HORRIBLE CONDITIONS WITH MY OWN EYES. YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AT THE TIME SOME AS YOUNG AS 13 WERE NOW CARRYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY AND OWNING EXPENSIVE JEWELRY AND CARS BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO LEGALLY DRIVE. THE ADDICTIONS OF NEW PARENTS CAUSED DAMAGE THAT LASTS EVEN TO THIS DAY. CHILDREN GROWING UP WITH PARENTS THAT SUCCUMBED TO THEIR ADDICTIONS GREW UP WITHOUT THE PROPER GUIDANCE AND EXAMPLES. MANY OF MY PEERS WERE IN THIS VERY SITUATION HAVING TO GROW THROUGH THEIR TEENAGE YEARS WITHOUT ANYONE TO REALLY TEACH THEM HOW TO MANEUVER THROUGH THESE TOUGH TIMES. PEOPLE GOING TO JAIL IN HUGE NUMBERS, AND CONSTANT FIGHTING AND ROBBERIES OVER DRUGS AND TERRITORY BECAME A NORMAL OCCURRENCE DURING THESE TIMES. I REMEMBER LAYING IN MY BED AS A CHILD WAITING TO HEAR THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS THAT WERE SURE TO BREAK THE SILENCE OF THE NIGHT ON A DAILY BASIS. I LOVE THIS ERA FOR MY CHILDHOOD AND A LOT OF THE GREAT MEMORIES THAT I CARRY EVEN TODAY, AND I HATE THIS ERA FOR ALL THE DEATH THAT IT CAUSED AND ALL THE FAMILIES THAT IT DESTROYED. THE DAMAGE IT CAUSED WAS SO UNREPAIRABLE AND THE EVIDENCE OF IT CAN BE SEEN TODAY IN MY GENERATION.

IF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION WAS LABELED X THEN MY OWN I WOULD CALL GENERATION LOST. THE MORALS AND PRINCIPLES THAT WE SHOULD EMBRACE AND RESPECT ARE NOW REPLACED WITH SELFISHNESS AND GREED. WE WORSHIP THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR MORE THEN WE DO GOD AND RELIGION. TO MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOVED ONES MEAN NOTHING COMPARED TO THE MONEY THAT THEY SEEK. THE CYCLE OF PEOPLE GROWING UP WITHOUT PROPER PARENTING CONTINUES EVEN TODAY AS THOSE WHO GREW UP WITHOUT THEIR OWN PARENTS NOW DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE AND PARENT THEIR OWN CHILDREN. WHILE MANY DEALERS, WHOLESALERS, AND EVEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS GOT RICH DURING THIS ERA I TRULY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD BE SO SELFISH AS TO PROFIT OFF OF SO MUCH DEATH AND TRAGEDY. I TRULY HOPE TO NEVER SEE ANOTHER TIME LIKE THIS AGAIN AS I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE ALIVE TO WITNESS IT.