Activity 10!

                     When I hear the words “drug dealer” I picture the same thing as many others do within our society. I picture someone who is of color, young, poor and from a city or very urban area with a lack of proper education or opportunities to succeed. People who are surrounded by negativity peers, family and parents who had experienced the same issues when growing up. Dorm Room Dealers takes on another perspective, which broaden my view drastically. The two sociologists, Mohamed and Fritsvold formed ethnography on a private college in San Diego. They spent a total of six years interviewing and observing them as they partied, used illegal drugs, traded pills and too part in other illegal activities, which are completely unexpected from them. These books focuses on how these individuals, the wealthy or of no color were able to get away with dealing drugs and committing all these crimes. Even when the police caught them, they are able to convince the police to let them go with money.  For example, one student got too wasted and attacked a car. There was pot and evidence of drug dealing involved. However, the police officer was convinced by that student to drive him home and took a hundred dollars in return. This book discussed the lack of consequences these “good people” receive from dealing drugs. The researchers were able to provide the reader with a new perspective on who drug dealers can be and that the stereotypes placed on the typical drug dealer doesn’t really exist. The unexpected are likely to deal, smoke and drink underage, not just the poor and colored individuals in urban areas.

Current Event Analysis!

            The article I chose for my current event was in relation to drugs and it’s influence on violence. After doing research and reading several articles, I came in to contact with one specifically that addressed this topic and helped me fully understand the impact drugs has on violence and how both aspects have an influence on our society. The article is called “Matamoros Drug Violence Spurs Ride in Kidnapping. It discusses the violence, which is spreading across the northeaster border of Mexico. Rivals within the Gulf Cartel are fighting to gain control over the smuggling of drugs around that area. This conflict is becoming an issue for the local population and communities in that area. They are getting trapped in between the crime and it’s causing issues for drug cartels to operate effectively with their corresponding rivals.

            Although this is an issue across the area, this articles focuses on one specific example of the effect of drug crime directly on individuals within the society. A young, Mexican-American man in his late twenties worked and brought and sold gold respectfully. He was owner of a jewelry store in Matamoros. He was kidnapped because people knew his family had a great future with a good amount of money to live a relaxed life. One day he was working, about to close the store, when three men came and forced him to get in to a van as they threatened him with guns. From that point, they put a sack over his head and drove almost an hour until they stopped and told him to get out of the van. They took him to a disgusting area with walls that had bloodstains on them. He was violently abused and fed spoiled food for a whole entire week. They wanted his money and continuously beat him until they got that. Eventually, the parents paid the kidnappers almost $42,000 in pesos. They took him and left him outside after receiving the money. He was beaten very badly but eventually was able to find a farmhouse and then find his way home from there. It took him a long time to recover physically and it still affects him mentally.

            One thing he realized from this was that in the past, people from the drug cartel used to have white trucks, similar to the one he was kidnapped in, and they never used to harm local people. They used to sell their drugs, get their money and move on. However, now he sees these same guys just wanting to make money. According to the article, cartel members are preying on locals as alternate methods on income. Killing of major drug capos led to the increase of crime toward local individuals. The two cartels within that area are both struggling for power and this can result in everyone being unsafe and at risk of crime such as kidnapping.

            As far as it’s relation to what we have learned in class, we did discuss the connection between drugs and it’s relation to crime. We discussed what factors caused that crime and how it influenced society. We talked about the direct and indirect causes of drug crime and how members of the drug subculture have much higher rates of criminality. People who are likely to use the drugs are also more likely to have more criminal activity in other aspects. The three men who are previous involved in the drug cartel, kidnapped an innocent man. The illegal participation with selling drugs led to the kidnapping of that man. It may have been an indirect cause but it was influenced by their experience selling drugs through the cartel and the pressures from competing with other cartels for power. Also in class we directly discussed how violence is an issue from drug trafficking because of the intense competition for large profits and when a commodity is scare or in high demand, individuals involved may take extreme measures, such a kidnapping someone to get control and the money they need. Drug trafficking and use has a huge negative influence on society as exemplified within the article. Whether it involves drug using or trafficking or drug use, it can negatively indirectly or directly influence our society by creating struggles and harm within their lives.

Article Link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=397096947