George Singleton examines the problem of drug abuse in America

George Buster Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Who are we kidding? We are the drug losers,” was originally published in the Dec. 14, 1989 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

I suppose that the drug addict is the most misunderstood person walking our streets today. We spend millions and millions of our tax dollars to try and combat the illegal traffic crossing our borders and never really understand why a great number of our citizens will risk everything to get high on a substance that is more dangerous than playing “kiss and tell” with a king cobra.

I won’t tell you that I am an authority when it comes to the use and the effects of cocaine and the other so-called hard drugs. But I will say that I have been educated about drugs in several of the schools that I attended before my retirement from the military. I know first hand, the behavior and the actions that are the tell-tale signs that an individual has a drug habit.

A few of my readers might disagree with this writing but, as the man says, that’s life in the big city.

Drug users undisciplined

Many seem to think that drugs and poverty go hand in hand. I do not believe this. Show me a drug user, and I will show you a person that has no self-discipline.

It is the nature of all mankind to look for happiness and contentment. This not only applies to the use of drugs and alcohol, but the habit of overeating and poor physical fitness. Self-discipline is something that requires practice and sacrifice. Total self-discipline is not acquired in one day, one month or several years. The more it is practiced, the easier and more controlled it becomes.

There is an old Indian legend that goes something like this:

Black Elk, one of the wisest of all the medicine men of the Great Plains’ Indian tribes, was asked about why people do some of the things that they do. Black Elk’s reply was “Within every person, there are two dogs.”

These dogs decide the fate of everyone. One dog is the good and self-discipline of the individual. The other dog is the less desirable and the bad habits that many of us cater to.

When he was asked which dog was the strongest, Black Elk replied, “The dog you feed the most.” This is very true. As one dog grows stronger, the other grows weaker.

So it is with drug users. Rather than face the rigors of everyday life, they look to drugs to take them into a fantasy land that few can pull away from.

First dose most critical

When a person first lowers his self-discipline and enters into the world of drugs, little does he realize that the first use is the most critical. The first dose is the most potent. Never again will he reach the level of ecstasy achieved with the first use.

This is why as the use of the drug continues, the dosage becomes greater and greater as the user tries to reach that first-time high.

And the human body is never the same after drugs are introduced. An addict may take the same dosage several times. Then, one day, this addict might take a lesser or the same dose and die from its effect. This is due to a change in body chemistry.

You have heard the old story many, many times that we should legalize the use of marijuana. Some believe that this drug does no harm to the user. Do not be deceived.

I lived in the great Southwest for several years, and out there, marijuana use did not start yesterday. I have seen some of the tribal Indians and some of the Spanish-speaking peoples who have used marijuana over a period of years. It is very sad to see a grown man crawling around on the ground, playing in his own filth, not knowing whether it is day or night.

This drug has been in use among these people for hundreds of years. And many times, the use of marijuana creates the desire for stronger drugs.

Have you tried looking into the future of our great country to determine what effect drugs will have on our survival? I mentioned before that the Germans and the Japanese are buying up our country with our own money. As we grow weaker and slowly slide downhill from our position in world politics, there will be no place for a country of dope addicts.

There won’t be homes for the addicted or the feebleminded. These miserable souls will be carried out and destroyed. We have grown so accustomed to the bleeding hears of the American people that we push from our minds what can really happen.

No president

There will be no president to go before Congress and ask for money to be used for shelter and food for these people. If you don’t believe what I am saying, look at the Chinese. Look at the number of citizens that were killed for just speaking out for what they thought was right.

If you turn on the television and watch what is happening in Central America, you will see just how little a human life is valued in many parts of the world.

Remember, you do not have to wear a straight jacket to practice personal discipline. I believe that no one can really enjoy and get the most out of their life unless self-control is foremost.

Saying no to bad habits or seeking fantasy worlds can become a true test of courage and self-discipline. When the good do becomes strong within you, as the wise old Indian said, then life becomes beautiful and more meaningful. Each day becomes a challenge, and when the challenges are met, they will be overcome.

Take a real good look at yourself. Are you satisfied with what you see? Remember you are the one. Only you can change. But you have to want to change. You too, can mount up on wings as eagles. You, too, can run and not be weary, and you, too, will be able to walk and not faint.

There is nothing more beautiful than a great eagle in flight. I have been to three state fairs and several goat ropings, and I have never seen anything that will equal it.

Take my word – discipline yourself as one would tune a fine and expensive musical instrument, and then life will take on a new meaning.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, was bitten at least twice by venomous snakes, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)