By Myra Hogan, managing editor
Sept. 2, 2009 — Editor’s note: The names of the people in this story have been changed to protect their identity.
Several local residents say they are fed up with the drug dealing going on in their communities.
A Carter County man started the protest in the Hitchins area by putting up signs and painting messages in the area.
A former lineman, Paul has placed many signs high on the poles so others could not take them down with a ladder.
His actions have not come without opposition. So far he says he has been threatened, guns and other weapons pulled on him, and some have threatened to burn his house.
“I have lost some really good friends over this (drugs),” Paul said. “The dealers were the ones pushing it to them. They got the habit, one thing led to another, and they just couldn’t get rid of it. I’m still losing them (dying).”
Paul said it is a shame people have to be scared in their own community.
“I see the older generation… the people I looked up to when I was a kid…they can’t have any peace,” Paul said. “They’ve worked hard all their lives and now they have to live scared. They go to bed with their guns while praying to God that they are going to make it to daylight.”
One of these days I’m going to be one of them and who’s to say they wont kick my door in and take what I’ve worked for hard all of my life.”
Paul said he started the protest with the kids in mind.
“All I want is for our kids to be safe,” Paul said. “If everybody in this county don’t start standing up, what’s going to happen to our kids in five to 10 years? What’s going to happen to our grandchildren?”
Paul said he encourages everyone in the county to put signs in their own yard or meet them in front of the justice center on Monday and Thursday mornings with their own signs to protest the drug activity.
Jane said, “I think that as a community we have seen a lot of our own friends and family die to drugs. It’s not only our problem to help find a solution out there, but it is the law enforcements. But it seems that there is nothing being done about this problem. We want to know as a community, why? Are we so afraid of the law or the dealers that we tuck our tails and run? I think that the whole town has had enough of this.”
She said the residents of Carter County need to stand together for the sake of our children and the future.
“Please write to your governor, the mayor, the papers, news channel stations. Get out and support. Let’s schedule a walk and make t-shirts just like we did before. Why don’t we walk the courthouse streets as a family that is tired of taking this stuff? We want to know why something isn’t being done,” Jane added.
Jane invites all who are interested to meet them in front of the justice center on Monday or Thursday morning and pick up a t-shirt for $8. The front of the shirt says, “Stop the Corruption in Carter County”.
