Local Minister: U.S. Drug War a 'War on Drug Addicts'

A senior minister at in Briarcliff said this week that the United States' war on drugs has become a "war on drug addicts."

Rev. Michael Pater also touched on the "war on poverty," another popular term he criticized as an unintentional misnomer. Some of his remark's were posted Wednesday on the church's Facebook page:

From Rev. Michael, a final thought from Sunday's sermon (12 Aug):

I remain unconvinced that we have declared a war on drugs; I fear that we have declared a war on drug addicts when we underfund and defund programs that support recovery while we fill our prisons.

I am convinced that we do not have a war on poverty, but rather a war on poor people. We want to decrease the funding of the social safety net while decreasing the contributions from those most able to pay.

But, irregardless of on whom or what we have declared war, I am tired of us declaring war on anyone or anything. I'm ready to reject its imagery, metaphor, and practice. My faith calls me to commit to justice, not declare war.

The Wisdom of the ancients, the teachings of Jesus, and the practices of the early Christian Church still convict me and call me to a conversion of head, heart and hand. Again and again, the sacred story calls me to attend the last and least. In the reading from Ephesians (12 Aug), thieves are directed to stop stealing and work honestly, SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THE NEEDY. It's a powerful view of a converted community, then and now.

Do you agree with Rev. Pater's remarks? Tell us in the comments section below.