The War on Drugs

The House I Live In really opened my eyes to the affects that "the war on drugs" has had on our country.  Prior to watching this documentary, I did not realize that the system that was designed to diminish the impact drugs have on our country not only failed beyond measure, but actually seems to have worsened the problem.

I believe the manner in which this documentary was put together was extremely effective.  Both the lawbreakers and their families and the law enforcement officials all seem to have a collective opinion that the war on drugs has failed.  I would have to agree with them.

However, I was so blown away by how drastically wrong everything went that I nearly overlooked the victims, besides the criminals.  I am certain they were left out as part of a strategy, to make the government the only responsible party for the drug problem in America and I don’t discount that the hold a lot of culpability.  But if I were filming this documentary, I would include the real casualties to the war on drugs.  Those are the ones who have died at the hands of the dealers and the users.  Not only those who have overdosed, but those who may have lost their lives due to the violence behind drugs.  They talked about the children who became drug dealers because it’s all they knew, but they failed to address the ones who never made it that far.

Doing illegal drugs IS a crime and it does impact innocent people’s lives.  The documentary failed to address a crucial point as they did not discuss or interview people whose children lost their lives because of another person’s involvement in drugs.  This would add more truth to the documentary.  Seeing not just the deterioration of life as a result of dealing drugs or doing drugs, but instead, seeing the bigger problem behind drugs and that is the loss of innocent lives and families destroyed. 

So although I can see the point behind the story, there is more to be said on the war on drugs. 

Sarah Grimke and me

The character I can relate to the most in the book, The Invention of Wings, is Sarah Grimke.  From a very young age, Sarah was a strong minded individual who constantly challenged, well, everything. She was determined to break down the barriers set in place by society and make her own rules.  For most of my life, in probably different ways, but maybe some the same as Sarah, I have confronted and overcame many of my own obstacles.

I believe it is important to make the right choices in life for the right reasons.  We should be good to one another because it is the right thing to do, not because we expect something in return.  Giving Handful back to her mother in protest of slavery is something that I would probably do.  Sarah believed that owning a slave, another human being, was just not right.  She wanted no part of.  Although, she later realized her mistake, she still did what she thought was the right thing at the time.

  I could also relate to Sarah was when Israel proposed to her and she denied him.  He did not just propose marriage to her.  He expected that she would give up her own life and just be happy living in his.  She declined his proposal, maybe because she realized that he did not love her the same way she loved him. But it was absolutely because she was not willing to compromise the person she had become.  Like her, I would never lose myself to be in any relationship with anyone.  If we don't stand up for what we believe in, or if we allow people to take away our passion, we can no longer claim to be who we were.

The Invention of Wings

I read The Invention of Wings, a book written by Sue Monk Kidd.  The story portrays the bond, or should I say obligation, that Sarah Grimke and Hetty 'Handful' Grimke have with one another.  I appreciate how the story spans over a period of 35 years, illustrating how each girl develops to the determined woman she will become by the end of the book.  Handful, a slave born into the Grimke family, was given to Sarah on her 11^th birthday as a gift when she was only ten years old herself.  From the moment she received her, Sarah opposed the concept of slavery.


Throughout the years, she tried to be lenient on Handful and eventually returned her to her mother, as she did not want to be a slave owner.  But what is interesting is that, although she opposed the idea of slavery, she did little to avoid reaping the benefits of living in a home kept together by slaves.  There were times she protested, but for a long time, she seemed to resign herself to idea that there isn’t much she can do about it slavery.


I do not think Sarah truly understood the importance of standing up for the freedom of slaves (and eventually rights for woman) until she was almost 30 years old, when she traveled to Philadelphia.  It may have been a result of living in the north, where slavery was abolished, but I believe it was the guilt she felt by leaving Handful behind. 


I am certain Sarah was haunted by the fact that she left Handful in Charleston at the mercy of her own family, who were not humane like her.  I have admiration for the courage Sarah showed at the end of the story.  She would do whatever it took to help her faithful servant Handful and her sister Sky become free, even if it might mean losing her own freedom.