I don’t usually wake up on Saturday morning pissed off about an idea. But, this particular Saturday, I find myself angry and I haven’t even taken off my pajamas. I can’t for the life of me get through to people and the frustration is overwhelming me. Within the span of an hour, I’ve stumbled upon 2 articles that basically blame, “Cheap Mexican Heroin” for gang violence in both Pueblo and St. Louis. Those messages echo similar messages here in NM about Espanola — “Cheap Mexican Heroin to Blame for Overdoses” would be a very fitting headline.
But, again, here’s the thing: Heroin is NOT to blame for violence. Using “Mexican” to further villain-ize the drug only makes the problem harder to solve. Opiate-related problems are not about Mexicans and to even use the word in conjunction with opiates creates a consciousness of hate towards an entire group of people who have NOTHING to do with the problem. You see, whether the opiate is heroin or prescribed pain killers or cough syrup with codeine mixed with grape kool-aid, the real problem with ALL opiate-related deaths and criminality is that we as a collective community are too stupid to recognize our own actions with regard to each other.
That’s right, I don’t blame Mexicans for our heroin problems. I don’t blame prescription-happy doctors. Really, I can’t even find fault with street level hustlers who peddle all of their crap. The fault is with parents, teachers, counselors, doctors, friends, family, and most problematically, me. I am to blame for the heroin problem. I have fallen short of my community so many times in my life, I’ve sadly lost count. How have I fallen short? Every time I’ve chosen my selfish interests over the needs of the greater community, I’ve been a part of the creation of social trauma; and it’s that very social trauma is the real problem in our wretched society today.
As an example, I offer Facebook narcissism which is a real thing in our world. We glorify ourselves, thereby disconnecting from the community of which we are a part. We’d rather take a damn selfie than actually connect with our spouse. We’d rather make stupid self-lamenting comments so that people can join in our pity than go out a take a stand about something in which we believe. Really, Facebook, Instagam, etc are symptomatic of the need we have for distraction; that is, as long as we’re jacking off to our own reflection in some way shape or form we aren’t even aware of how much pain this world is in. As our blindness grows, so does the need for opiates.
Before you join the chorus is blaming Mexicans for the state of our “heroin problem,” maybe you should look in a fucking mirror and understand how you are contributing to the pain in this world. Rather than look at “heroin” as a villain, maybe you should knock yourself down from the pedestal upon which you stand. No one built that narcissistic pedestal but you. Mexican heroin doesn’t kill people without the pain to which we all contribute.
