Giving Justice to Carboard Justice
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Carnage.
These past few months, 3213 of people have been killed in the #WarOnDrugs. 1910 incidents of extrajudicial killings have surfaced alongside these. Of which 1606 of cases are still under investigation, while 191 cases are solved (with the suspect arrested) and 113 (with the suspect still at large). (Source: Rappler)
The death toll for these extrajudicial killings are expected to rise over the months — given no signs of slowing down. Are we just going to stand still and let this wave of violence sweep the country off of its feet? What if we just introduce a new light into the way we look at drugs?
Everybody inherently has human rights. The right to live. Freedom of expression. The right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Every single one of these individuals discarded as a statistic in the #WarOnDrugs were given no regard for their entitlement of the basic human rights. And it is our utmost responsibility to seek justice where it must be served.
The road to the eradication of drugs in the country is a noble cause, and is commendable of the present administration. Although we can respectfully admit, that there are certainly better and more humane ways of tackling this current predicament.
The cause behind drug addiction isn’t simply the chemical hook itself. It is the lack of connection within their respective social circles that they are unable to express themselves which leads them to create a bond, that they were not able to form with people, with drugs. Take for example Portugal, where drugs have been decriminalized and drug addiction has been tagged as a public health issue rather than a criminality. They primarily give drug users an environment where they are free from discrimination and given the appropriate support, treatment, and therapy that they need in order to reconnect with the world and their feelings. Since then over 50% of drug use through injections have fallen, addiction rates have fallen, and only 3 drug overdose deaths have occurred for every 1,000,000 citizens compared to the EU average of 17.3 per million.
Instead of giving these troubled individuals the chance to make reforms on how they live their lives, they are stigmatized and given no opportunity and appropriate resources to recover.
Humans are social and bonding beings, with the need to connect and to love in order to feel satisfied with their respective situations in life. If we just doled out this type of support within the country, we’d surely significantly lessen drug usage within itself and see happier communities rise from the madness we have found ourselves in right now.
Violence will beget a culture of hatred and continue the cycle of drugs that we have tried so hard to stop. Why don’t we just start acting like human beings and start caring for one another? Look out for those close to you, deepen your connections, and together, maybe then we can see a community that is addiction-free.
