New Hampshire Hypocrisy: A “Drug Den” When Convenient ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (08-17)

Editorial

A few months ago the governor of New Hampshire called out the City of Lawrence as the source of their “drug crisis” and “opioid epidemic”. He painted a picture of NH as a drug infested den with heroin and fentanyl pouring in from neighboring Lawrence, killing people “at a record rate”.
It was an accurate portrayal.

Immediately on cue, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera – and other Lawrence officials – took the usual defensive position and whined that Lawrence was being “picked on.” He then tried to paint Lawrence as the victims, saying the governor was “kicking Lawrence while we are down”.

NH officials shot back, saying that NH is identifying the problem, and that Rivera should be focused on solving the epidemic, rather than denying Lawrence’s part in it.

They were right, of course.

Rivera and other Lawrence officials grandstand far too often, eager to hide behind the city’s “good citizens”, but in doing so are really just denying the monumental problem of Lawrence being the hub of drug distribution for most of New England.

Fast forward to last week, when someone leaked top-secret transcripts of a conversation between President Trump and the president of Mexico. In that conversation Trump is quoted as telling the Mexican president that he won NH because it is a “drug infested den” and that those drugs are coming from Mexico.

“It has to be stopped,” Trump told him.

The media played up the comment as Trump “bashing” NH and “insulting” them. That wasn’t the case. The president was simply trying to hold Mexico accountable for the drugs that end up in NH, but the feeble minded grandstanders took the ball and ran with it anyway.

Officials in NH, particularly the governor, had a chance here to walk the walk, and do what they advised Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera a few short months earlier: stop overreacting, stop playing the victim, and embrace the reality so we can solve the problem. “YES! We have become a drug den thanks to the cartels in Mexico; thank you Mr. President for advocating for us,” should have been the response.

Instead, self serving officials in NH did the same stupid thing Mayor Rivera did. They circled the wagons, treated the leaked comments as an attack on poor NH, ignored the part where President Trump was trying to HELP their state, and started pandering to NH voters as their superhero- defenders.

One NH official even tweeted photos of pristine scenery with a caption that said NH is beautiful and “not a drug den”.

NEWSFLASH NEW HAMPSHIRE… yes you ARE!

The fact is, we are under attack in New England by criminal drug cartels from other countries who laugh at how many people “drop dead” from their poison every day. We are not under attack by President Trump. Similarly, Lawrence wasn’t being “attacked” by the NH governor. Lawrence is, however, being attacked every day by the Dominican and Mexican drug cartels.

We cannot fight them – much less solve the heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanyl distribution problem in New England – if officials in each state are running around playing theater games for the press, crying about perceived insults.

So, just stop it!

We are highly disappointed that officials in NH chose to paint their state as a drug infested den when it suited them, but then whined like a Lawrence politician when someone adequately parroted their own assessment of what is going on.

Wake up New Hampshire!

If you start acting like Lawrence politicians it won’t be long before you get the same results they got in Lawrence. It’s time to start walking the walk and take your own advice. Admitting the problem is the first step to recovery!

Paid for by Committee to Elect Jorge Jaime
Paid for by Committee to Elect Jorge Jaime