By Arthur Didinsky
On February 9, 2023, Congresswoman Angie Craig, a Democrat from Minnesota, was brutally attacked in her apartment elevator. Just two months later, a Senator Rand Paul staffer was also stabbed in broad daylight. These incidents have sparked concern among other congressional offices, some of which have reportedly instructed their staff to remove their badges when out of the building. It is disheartening to see that the nation's capital, which should be an example of order and beauty, now seems to represent disorder.
Why you may ask?
Recently, while driving through DC I passed a park that used to be a beautiful area that overlooked the Kennedy Center. However, it has now become the next Biden town. I am reminded of the 19th century Chinese Opium Wars, where British and American merchants sent opium to the free-trade port of Canton to sell to Chinese smugglers. The Chinese government's efforts to stop the trade resulted in two wars, but ultimately the British were victorious, and opium became legal devastating their society.
In today's world, we are seeing a modern version of the Opium War, but this time China is doing it to us. Instead, they are supplying the ingredients to produce fentanyl, a powerful opioid, to Mexican drug cartels who then distribute it to the United States. According to ABC News, US investigators have found evidence of this illegal trade. The result is a growing number of opioid-addicted individuals who are unable to function, often turning to crime and creating a potential national security threat.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/fentanyl-trip-drug-coming-america/story?id=84403096
In the Constitution Our Founders believed that an armed citizenry was the best defense against foreign threats. However, a nation that is heavily addicted to opioids and unable to function may be unable to defend itself against such a threat. It is time to take action to combat the opioid epidemic and protect our country from foreign threats.
We have to secure our borders, crack down on the cartels and drug dealers, and give people the hope to live for tomorrow. Drug addiction is the stem of a bigger problem, a loss of meaning. Conservatives acknowledge the destruction and injustice we are capable of that makes life seem meaningless, but with that acknowledgement we can work together to build a better society.
Our founders knew most people in government would be politically ambitious, that is why they built a system that would harness that ambition to counter the ambitions of others in government. True leadership is demonstrating the bigger picture and showing the better tomorrow we can build together.
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Arthur Didinsky from Potomac, Maryland works on the Hill as a Staff Assistant for a congressman, serves as Chair of the Montgomery County Young Republicans and is a member of the Communications Committee of the Montgomery County, Maryland Republican Party. He can be reached at [email protected]
