CDA: Shadows of the past

The things happening here in Coeur d’Alene are a reminder of things I observed more than 30 years ago. The Navy sent me to a base near a small city of 45,000 people in 1964. Upon my discharge from the Navy, I stayed in that town, got married and raised a family there.

As the years passed, the city grew and the problems grew. There was more violence and more drug related crime. Gangs began shooting each other. One of my sons had friends in an area of town where a shooting occurred in a park near a school. It was at that time that I left that town and arrived here in 1992.

Now I see a repeat of what I saw there. More shootings, fights and drugs. When I left that city, it had grown to more than 150,000 people. This is what I see if this area keeps growing.

Now, people are wanting to legalize marijuana and that will be more problems for police with more intoxicated drivers. I like Chief White because he is an excellent leader for the Coeur d’Alene Police Department but this increase in crime and legalizing marijuana will only cause more work for the police. Pot smokers cause traffic accidents just like drunk drivers. Do the citizens of Kootenai County want that extra risk?

DAVID BOERNER

Coeur d’Alene