My middle schooler’s science class just went through a two week unit about drugs. I’m enjoying asking about and learning all the things they are telling him (btw, his teacher is a Santa Cruz middle age surfer skater kinda guy who I’m certain has plenty first hand experience).
The teacher said he had three friends who used to deal in drugs. One’s dead, one’s in prison and the other is a successful plumbing business owner who, after a 60 day crime spree of burglary which landed him in the joint, got his act together and now makes bank.
I told my kid that what happens when you get any kind of conviction in the US is that you are now marked, even after “paying your debt to society”. No one will hire you. The only real avenue is starting your own business like this guy did. And this topic led us down to talking about criminal justice in the USA and all its shortcomings; it has many.
My kid is keenly aware of Nancy Reagan and her failed Just Say No BS from the 80s. In a few short years, I’ll be talking to my boy about Nancy’s ol’ man and his failed trickle down economics, also from the 80s.
