Aug 8, 2008 By Guest Commentaryby Ruth Dolan 5 min read

I want to congratulate both our district attorney and the Fayette County Drug Task Force for the drug bust in Brownsville. It was a very long-awaited bust. To our mayor and councilman, don’t tell me you both did not know what was going on here on Prospect Street for the past five years. I know that in the past 12 years drugs and other things have been happening there.

You people who are elected officials are supposed to be up on what goes on in your town. Because when you tell one of the officials they say, “We know and it is being taken care of.” If you are all so dumbfounded by this happening, then you are not doing your job.

It is so very easy to put blinders on and look the other way, and when something happens act so shocked. This town is greatly known for drugs and anything else you want. Not only Brownsville, but up and down the whole Mon Valley. We have some very important persons who head up these activities, but are not named. They are so gracious to let someone else be in charge as long as their name is not involved, but they are the first in line to collect that dirty money. They let the “gofers” do it and take the heat, and they have clean hands until one day that clean world is going to come down on their heads and everyone will act so surprised.

We as citizens better wake up. These people have sold you all down the river, so to speak, and as long as you sit back and don’t do anything it will continue to happen. We have let people buy up a town that at one time was thriving; they sold it out to get a little side money. If you want to do or sell something out from under someone, just cross their palms. I know there are those who are on the up-and-up, but years back there were those who, for a $5 bill in their hand could do what they wanted and looked the other way just as long as they got their cut. We do have people who have tried very, very, very hard to put this town on its feet, but then you have those who are all money-minded. Just like teaching a baby to walk they take four good steps and six bad ones backwards.

We have a crime watch here. There are those who sit back and make fun of it but when “your” home, car or things are stolen from you, you shout, “Where is the crime watch?” Well if you had no interest before why now? That is the same with illegal drugs and some of the other things going on in this town. If it does not concern me, I don’t put my two cents in. Well you better put your “two cents” in because it is our children being dragged into buying drugs and stealing copper and tools; and cars for those who do not want to get their hands dirty to pay for the drugs or to buy their way out of trouble. Where would they be getting all this money if they did not steal from others? I know some of these youngsters have jobs, but I did not know they paid big bucks.

We have turned our backs so often on what has happened it isn’t funny. Our children have no respect for themselves or anyone else. If you walk through the mall or even on the sidewalk, what do they do? Not move over or say excuse me, they go right through you then turn around and look at you as if you did something to them.

Is this what we are teaching our children? It used to be people sat outside and visited one another but now these little, and I mean little, kids will say, “What are you looking at old lady/man? I do whatever I want.” Where are our parents? Our government has stepped in and said that you cannot correct our children, and if you do someone will call 911 or Children and Youth Services.

So we are afraid to correct or tell them this is wrong. I believe that if the parent or parents are abusive then let the authorities step in; otherwise back off and let the raising to those who brought them into this world. So these kids do as they please, drugs, swearing, stealing things that do not belong to them, and they tell the parents where to go.

Is this how you were raised? There is a time and place for our government to be involved and that is protecting us from harm, not telling us we have no right to take charge of our child or children. Getting back to the drugs. Someone needs to hang back after the bust because most of these people are alerted and all the drugs disappear, but after the bust just like magic they come back. Thank you, Drug Task Force and our district attorney for a job well done.

Ruth Dolan resides in Brownsville.