U.S. Air Force: Honor, Leadership, Protecting America

Recently, I had the privilege of serving the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as a keynote speaker (testimonial below) for an award ceremony.

The event honored the outstanding service of numerous men and women of this service branch of our armed forces.

Prior to my presentation, I received a detailed tour highlighting the admirable work, sacrifices, and dedication of USAF personnel.

It was an awesome experience that made me proud to be an American.

Honoring America’s Military

Due to the highly classified nature of the unit’s work, I will avoid mentioning detailed specifications relative to their location, mission, equipment, and personnel. Individuals who are enticed by this article can easily learn more about the USAF through open-source information.

But, I would like to complement my lifetime of gratitude for our armed forces, and to encourage others to appreciate their service to America.

The USAF: A Snapshot

As detailed in the official USAF website, their motto is “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win.”

This motto is complimented by their core values of “integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that we do.”

The creation of the USAF was initiated by the National Security Act of 1947, and Executive Order 9877 signed by President Harry S. Truman.

The Executive Order punctuated “air superiority … strategic air force … air reconnaissance … airlift … air support to ground and naval forces … and coordination of air defense.”

The USAF site continues by detailing the critical importance of an air force. The USAF is required not only for its military capabilities, but because of the demands of a global transportation system that includes the following:

• $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy and ten million jobs.
• 35 percent of global trade by value moves by air, and involves 57 million jobs worldwide.
• There are about 2,150 satellites and 100,000 man-made objects in space. The USAF virtually tracks all of these and deploys and operates in six constellations with over 170 satellites.

Also, the globe demands security, especially due to escalating tensions among nations.

America requires a rapid global mobility enabling our presence anywhere in the world. This presence allows our nation’s ethical protectors to respond to problems. It also support their efforts with the following services:

• Airlifts – swift deployments and sustained operations.
• Air refueling – the linchpin to global power projection.
• Aeromedical evacuations – a crisis planning requirement for saving lives.

USAF Priorities

Additionally, the USAF ability to respond to a crisis anywhere in the world includes these priorities:

• Strengthening the nuclear enterprise
• Partnerships with the joint and coalition team for victory
• Developing and caring for Airmen, Airwomen, and their families
• Modernizing air and space inventories, organizations, and training
• Recapture acquisition excellence

USAF Mission and Vision Statements

Essential to the USAF is their mission and vision statements which reads as follows:

Mission Statement

“The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. Our rich history and our vision guide our Airmen as we pursue our mission with excellence and integrity to become leaders, innovators and warriors.”

Vision Statement

“The United States Air Force will be a trusted and reliable joint partner with our sister services known for integrity in all of our activities, including supporting the joint mission first and foremost. We will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and Power for the nation.”

Final Reflections

During my keynote, I highlighted to attendees that the USAF is pivotal to the honor, leadership, and protection of America.

The concept of mentorship was presented, which is paramount to their service, and complemented by stressing the importance of being ethical protectors.

The ethical protector philosophy is encouraged in my initiatives not only for the military, but for law enforcement and all in society who are dedicated to America’s ethical renaissance.

We all have a part to play, no matter what role we have in life. All of us have the capacity to serve others as ethical protectors.

America is at a crossroads, as witnessed through the continual headlines of violence and character deficiencies.

As we pause to appreciate the USAF, may each of us renew our dedication to safeguarding our homeland as ethical protectors.

When we are true to our social nature of protecting one another, we will be on the path of our true destiny and the reawakening of the nation. 

Testimonial

"You provided an inspirational and powerful lecture on mentorship and leadership...your tremendous support to...the Air National Guard, and the United States Military is amazing."
Lt. Colonel, Commander NJANG

Related Coverage:

Life Lessons From the United States Military

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing. 

 As a national speaker, he has addressed audiences nationwide on issues critical to America including ethical leadership, violence prevention, and crisis planning.
Photos

Note Well: all photos and information are open-source information from the USAF official website.

1. An F-16 Fighting Falcon receives fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker during exercise Razor Talon Dec. 14, 2015, over the coast of North Carolina. The aircrew and other support units from multiple bases conducted training missions designed to bolster cohesion between forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman John Nieves Camacho)

2. The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performs a rifle demonstration during the 2016 Air Force Tattoo at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., Sept. 22, 2016. In addition to the team’s performance, the event consisted of U.S. Air Force Band routines, aircraft flyovers and heritage speeches. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jordyn Fetter)

3. Fully armed Aircraft from the 18th Wing conduct an elephant walk during a no-notice exercise April 12, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 18th Wing operates combat ready fleets of HH-60 Pave Hawks, F-15 Eagles, E-3 Sentries and KC-135 Stratotankers, making it the largest combat-ready wing in the U.S. Air Force. Kadena AB provides leading-edge counter air, command and control, air refueling and combat search and rescue operations, enabling theater commanders of joint and allied partners to project and enhance lethal, persistent and flexible combat power in response to adversaries. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman John Linzmeier)

4. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Jenkins, 824th Base Defense Squadron squad leader, plays with his son prior to deploying, April 11, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. More than 100 Airmen from the 824th BDS, known as the ‘Ghostwalkers,’deployed to Southwest Asia to provide fully-integrated, highly capable and responsive forces while safeguarding Expeditionary Air Force assets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Greg Nash)

5. Apr. 22, 2017 at Joint Base McGuire Dix, Courtesy RALLC.

United Airline Reflects America’s Corporate Character Crisis

Respect for others is inseparable from character, which must be the heartbeat of America.

Harmony in society is only possible when character is encouraged, empowered, and enabled.

No one can live completely independent of others. Society by its very nature demands character. This virtue is a catalyst for peaceful co-existence with others.

Society benefits only through respectful exchanges with others, and service that develops trust.

Character allows us to be true to the dignity of our existence, and to the tranquility required by society.

When character is deficient, there is chaos, crisis, and confrontation. Character is essential for society, and it is also the transformational ingredient that will renew integrity.

Character inspires loyalty, trust, and respect. It enriches relationships, honors the common good, and will change the complexion of America.

Without character, society quickly disintegrates into adversities, divisiveness, and injustices.

America Requires Character

As detailed in my extensive published works for the Epoch Times, and a lifetime of presentations and published articles, character must be the heartbeat of America.

Character must be cultivated throughout society, and it must be developed in our youth from the age of reason.

It must be the heartbeat of our educational system, and continue throughout every segment of American life.

Character must also be ignited in our families, and every faith-based community, school, campus, government entity, and corporation.

When character is present, the dignity of the individual as well as the common good is enriched.

Conversely, whenever there is a deficiency of character, the integrity of society is compromised, diminished, and undermined.

Corporate America Requires Character

The disgraceful dragging of a bloodied doctor off a United flight recently disturbed the soul of America.

Compounding the incident, the initial and superficial legal-posturing of the airlines CEO lacked the moral courage required by the company leader.

Although this customer properly purchased a ticket, and was authorized to board, he was violently removed from the aircraft, to make room for employees needing to travel.

As a response to the video evidence of the incident, the Twitter response of the CEO pathetically read as follows:

“This is an unsettling event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to the passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve the situation.”

Through this contemptuous response, the crisis of the incident was exacerbated by a lack of ethical leadership.

This response failed not only the violated customer, but all others on the flight. It also wounded the professional hard-working employees of United, the airline industry, corporate America, and the very morale of the nation.

The most basic conflict resolution, diplomacy, problem-solving, and communication skills were non-existent. There were many failures on many levels and with many people, all of whom should have known better.

It was a complete failure of leadership, professionalism, and moral decency.

This incident and its reprehensible response was an indictment of the character crisis in corporate America.

Only when we ignite character in the heart of corporate America, and throughout every segment of our society, will we be on track for a desperate ethical renaissance.

Corporate America: Respect the Common Good

Humanity has a social nature and each person has a responsibility to contribute to the common good.

This is only possible when we refuse to live as isolated individuals. We must realize that we are social by nature. Society is served when character is exemplified within our families, communities, corporations, and government representatives.

Essential to cultivating character in America is ensuring its presence in our corporations.

Every individual in corporate America who has been entrusted with authority has the responsibility to be ethical. Ethics is inseparable from character and it must be the heartbeat of corporate life.

Character must be the culture of corporate America. It must not be superficially expressed through slogans and mission statements. It must be alive and present in the corporate culture, experiences, and attitude.

America’s Ethical Renaissance Requires Corporate Ethics

There is a legion of American corporations representing a crisis of character extending far beyond the United scandal.

Some of the worst corporate scandals over the last 15 years include some of the most iconic names in corporate America.

These include Enron, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, Healthsouth, Freddie Mac, American Insurance Group, Lehman Brothers, Bernie Madoff, and Saytam.

The greed, dishonesty, and arrogance of individuals within these companies violated the most basic ethical principles.

It is time for America to turn the tide from this unethical corporate environment.

Corporate America needs ethical leaders who are fully committed by word and action to cultivating corporations of character.

Final Reflections

Moral courage, transformational character, and ethical leadership are critical to the integrity of society.

When virtues are present, both individuals and the common good are the beneficiaries.

The continuous scandals throughout corporate America reflect a crisis of character.

We must reawaken the nation through initiatives that inspire integrity, respect, and courtesy.

We will be on the path of a moral reawakening when character is the heartbeat of corporate America, and cultivated throughout every facet of American life.

Related Coverage:

NBC Scandal Reflects America’s Integrity Crisis

NFL Domestic Violence Scandal: Time for Action

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Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing. As a national speaker, he has addressed audiences nationwide on issues critical to America including ethical leadership, violence prevention, and crisis planning.

Holocaust Remembrance Day: Respect, Reflect, Resolve

On Monday, April 24, 2017, the world must pause to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.

It is a solemn day to remember the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust.

Between 1940–1945, in an atrocity unparalleled in evil and scope, six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The Innocence of a Child

Anne Frank stands as the most memorable child of World War II and one of the most enduring children of all of history. Anne is a testimony to the dignity of the human being and that virtue endures despite the darkest possibility of inhumanity.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” charts the two years of this young Jewish girl from 1942–1944 when she hid with her family and another family from the Nazis.

The book has become one of the critical documents of the 20th century and profoundly inspires diversity, the power of the pen, and the triumph of good over evil.

Anne’s book is one of the world’s most read literary treasures, selling over 25 million copies and being translated into 67 different languages.

As a German-Jewish teenager, Anne was forced into hiding to escape execution from the Nazis during the Holocaust. After 25 months of hiding with her family, she was betrayed to the Nazis and deported to the Bergen-Bergen concentration camp. She died at 15 years old of typhus in March 1945 while in the concentration camp.

Despite the dark chaos of intolerance, hatred, and ignorance during her time, Anne Frank continued to believe in the goodness of humanity. On July 15, 1944, Anne wrote:

“It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering, and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Night

Elie Wiesel, a survivor of Auschwitz, is the author of 36 works dealing with Judaism, the Holocaust, and the moral responsibility of all people to fight hatred, racism, and genocide. In his book “Night,” one of the most profound and renowned works of Holocaust literature, Wiesel records his lifelong personal anguish with the Holocaust:

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”

Testimonial of a Holocaust Survivor

Reflecting on the Holocaust, I am reminded of an event I took part in on March 28, 2007. The Anti-Defamation League celebrated a Solidarity Seder with law enforcement, government, community, faith-based, corporate, and citizen guests in Trenton, New Jersey.

It was fittingly held at the Trenton War Memorial, a national historic site, built as a great community center honoring American soldiers and sailors who died fighting in World War I.

Prior to the Seder, a representative of the Anti-Defamation League explained the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
Contradicting their hatred, he shared these treasured words of Emma Lazarus inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Testimonials were then shared, including one from a young man who spoke about the heartbreak of seeing his mother arrested as they attempted to enter America from Mexico. This young man went on to proudly become an American citizen and applied to become a member of the United States Army.

Another young man stated there are no complaints about immigration as American’s enjoy fruits and vegetables harvested through the labor and sweat of immigrants working on farms.

The most moving testimonial was by Holocaust survivor Shelly Zeiger who spoke passionately about “the town’s fool.” This man, lovingly referred to as Anton by Zeiger, was ridiculed as a misfit by his townspeople in western Ukraine and considered a fool because of his obsessive respect for all life.

Although a Catholic, Anton risked his own life to hide Jewish neighbors in his home. Anton hid Shelly, his father and mother, and two girls from the Nazis in the Zbrow ghetto for 27 months beginning in 1942. Shelly said, “Anton was truly a hero who teaches us to respect each human being, for courage can be found in the most unlikely of persons.”

After the war, Shelly and his family came to America. Years later, he mustered enough courage to go back to his hometown in the Ukraine to find Anton. He found him and brought him to live with him and his family in America, a country whose appreciation for diversity is the heartbeat of the nation and the world.

Liberation Monument, Liberty State Park, Jersey City

Surrounded by the historic significance of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the New York skyline, is the Liberation Monument. Designed by Sculptor Natan Rapaport, this inspirational statue depicts a World War II American Soldier carrying a survivor from the Auschwitz concentration camp. The image moves the soul to reflect on the values of compassion, character, and community.

The legacy of America urges a rebirth of patriotism that will transform us once again into a nation destined to be a hope for the world through our commitment to moral leadership, persevering vigilance, and dedicated collaboration.

Photos

1. Inmates waving a home-made American flag greet U.S. Seventh Army troops upon their arrival at the Allach concentration camp on April 30, 1945. (Arland B. Musser/U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park)
2. The Diary of Anne Frank
3. U.S. Army medics help evacuate ill and starving survivors. Buchenwald, Germany, April 1, 1945. (Peter M. Schmit/U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum)

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Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing. As a national speaker, he has addressed audiences nationwide on issues critical to America including ethical leadership, violence prevention, and crisis planning.

Columbine, Virginia Tech Anniversaries: Reverence, Vigilance, Prevention

As America commemorates the anniversaries of the Columbine High School and Virginia Tech tragedies on the fateful days of April 16 and 20 respectively, we must pause.

The events demand reverence for those who lost their lives and prayer for their families.

Vigilance, especially during these tragic anniversary times, is also in order. An abundance of caution must be the foundation of mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery principles of crisis management.

Columbine: A Snapshot

On April 20, 1999, two students killed 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, before committing suicide. The tragedy sparked a national response on school violence, bullying, character education, crisis planning, warning signs, police tactics, and firearms.

The tragedy continues to be analyzed due to its issues including the following:

• Diversionary tactics
• Propane tanks converted to bombs
• Nearly 100 explosive devices and bombs
• Firearms including a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, a Hi-Point 995 Carbine 9mm, and a 9mm Intratec TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun.

Columbine, and other incidents, led to a U.S. Secret Service report that shared the following findings relative to pre-attack behavior:

• Incidents of targeted violence at school were rarely sudden, impulsive acts.
• Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack.
• Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.
• There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence.
• Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused others concern, or indicated a need for help.
• Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Moreover, many had considered or attempted suicide.
• Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.
• Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.
• In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity.
• Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention.

Virginia Tech: A Snapshot

The serenity of Virginia Tech was shattered on April 16, 2007, with 32 students and teachers killed and 17 wounded.

This violence was particularly heart wrenching because it was preventable. But lessons were not learned from the Columbine tragedy and numerous government documents including the following:

• “Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools,” August 1998
• “The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States” by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education, May 2002
• “Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities,” May 2003

Despite a student killing two students on the fourth floor of the West Ambler Johnston residence hall, there were no precautions taken by school administration for the possibility that other shootings may occur. It was more than two hours later when an email alert was sent to the entire campus, but no emergency actions, such as lockdown, were implemented. Reprehensibly, the email did not emphasize that two students were killed or that the shooter was still at large.

Virginia Tech was eerily reminiscent of the Columbine tragedy—whose eighth anniversary was to be commemorated in just four days. It would be later discovered that the killer was obsessed with the Columbine killings.

How is it conceivable that two people are killed on a college campus during the anniversary week of Columbine, with a killer at large and no lockdown implemented? The failure of leadership is inexcusable as nothing was done to prevent the additional killings and injuries over two hours later.

Also, despite the pleadings of a vigilant professor calling for help for this student who manifested severe, troubling warning signs, school officials failed to provide the proper intervention to protect the campus. Not only were there warning signs, but the university had been put on notice at least a year and a half before the incident.

America wake up: character education, warning signs, threat assessment, and crisis planning principles must be the order of the day.

Photo

Mourners during Virginia Tech's Day of Remembrance honoring the 32 people killed in a mass shooting one year earlier, in Blacksburg, Va., on April 16, 2008. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Read Vincent's Report

A Crisis of Leadership: A Response to the Virginia Tech Panel Report

America’s Drug Crisis Demands Police-Community Unity

Police-community unity is critical to maintaining law, order, and civility in American society.

As detailed in my published work titled “Principles of American Policing” for the May 1, 2015 edition of the Epoch Times, the heart of policing is police-community cohesiveness.

The article serves as a clarion call to build bridges of trust that cultivates police-community collaboration.

The Ethical Protector

Our police must at all times remain fully committed to protecting and serving. They are called to serve as ethical protectors of America’s communities.

This ethical protector concept for our police has the virtue of character as its moral compass. Character inspires the police officer to uphold moral values because of an unwavering dedication to protecting life.

But all citizens privileged to call America home must share in the responsibility of protecting and serving society.

Every police officer and every community member must be mindful that the police and the community must be united.

Being pro-police and pro-community is indefatigable. America must dedicate ourselves with full-force commitment to this principle.

America’s Drug Crisis Intensifies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic.

Opioids, including prescription opioids and heroin, killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, more than any year on record.
Nearly half of all overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.

The CDC cites alarming statistics that include the following:

• The majority of drug overdose deaths (more than six out of ten) involve an opioid.
• Since 1999, overdose deaths involving opioids (including prescription drugs and heroin) quadrupled.
• From 2000 to 2015, more than half a million people died from drug overdoses.
• 91 Americans die everyday from an opioid overdose.
• Deaths from prescription opioids-drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone have more than quadrupled since 1999.

Police-Community Collaboration

America’s drug pandemic demands a collaboration of our police and community to remedy the crisis.

We must rise to the occasion and use innovative, cutting-edge new initiatives.

One initiative taking place in Bergen County, New Jersey is worthy of praise.

At three police stations, strategically located in the north, central, and south sectors of the county, addicts have hope. They are able to turn in their drugs, and enter a recovery program without facing criminal charges.

The initiative, under the leadership of Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal, is titled the Heroin Addiction Recovery Team (HART).

During walk-in hours at Mahwah, Paramus, and Lyndhurst police departments, a police officer in collaboration with a clinician will assist people register for recovery treatment.

"No community in Bergen County is immune, it affects young and old, males and females alike," Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal said at a press conference on the initiative.

"Our traditional law enforcement response to this problem is not working," Grewal said. "This epidemic requires a collaborative response between law enforcement, health care professionals, hospitals, counselor’s, all under one roof."

In another initiative in Martinsburg, West Virginia, police have collaborated with the Berkeley County Schools and Shepherd University to address the drug scourge.

This collaboration has formed the Martinsburg Initiative. It unites the police, schools, community, and families to help youth who are involved with trauma. Since youth who live in dysfunctional homes can have a likelihood to cope by abusing drugs, the hope of this initiative is to identify, intervene, and prevent drug abuse tragedies.

Warning Signs Demand Intervention

Warning signs are an essential tool for remedying the drug crisis and demand response.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), these are warning signs that your loved one may have a drug problem:

• A shift in mood, attitude and motivation
• New friends and new hangouts
• Poor performance at school or work and/or being absent
• Secretive behavior such as lying
• Sudden weight loss or gain
• Sudden, unexplained increase in spending
• Bloodshot eyes or enlarged pupils
• Giving up once-favorite pastimes and hobbies
• Strange body odors; trembling hands
• Unusual changes in sleeping patterns or schedule

Final Reflections

America’s police and communities are being challenged to unify to remedy our drug crisis.

An entire generation of America is suffering from the drug pandemic and we must unify to prevent continual heartbreak to families.

As we rise to the occasion with moral courage, we must remember that the police and the people are one.

We must forge iron-clad police-community partnerships to take back our communities from the drug pestilence.

The reality of the drug crisis is a matter of family tragedies, heartbreak, and death. Our drug crisis also inflicts suffering on the morale our nation.

We will be on the path to reawakening the nation when, as ethical protectors, we dedicate ourselves to unity.

America is suffering, and we must all respond to take back the nation from the scourge of the drug crisis.

Related Coverage:

America’s Opioid Crisis: The Heart of the Solution

Policing Requires Ethical Protectors

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Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photos

1. Police patrol a park in a neighborhood with a high rate of poverty and illegal drug use in New York City on Oct. 14, 2016. Staten Island, a New York City borough, is in the grip of a heroin crisis which has claimed hundreds of lives and turned some neighborhoods into drug markets. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

2. This blog was published as the cover story, The Chief of Police, Summer 2017.

3. Police patrol an area which has witnessed an explosion in the use of K2 or ‘Spice’, a synthetic marijuana drug, in East Harlem in New York City on Sept. 16, 2015. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

America’s Opioid Crisis: The Heart of the Solution

As immediately as an Internet search on opioid addiction and dependence begins, the severity of the crisis is illuminated by a public health alert.

The alert from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) states “the United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic. If you or someone you know needs help, effective treatment is available and can save lives.”

Life is sacred - physical, mental, and emotional health demands an unwavering commitment from society.

We must dedicate ourselves to stopping the scourge of this addiction.

Opioids: Prescription Drug & Heroin Crisis

The HHS defines opioids as natural or synthetic chemicals that bind to receptors in the brain or body.

Common opioids include heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanal.

America’s prescription opioid epidemic is crystalized by these alarming statistics from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM):

• Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses in 2015. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2015.
• From 1999 to 2008, overdose death rates, sales and substance use disorder treatment admission’s related to prescription pain relievers increased in parallel. The overdose death rate in 2008 was nearly four times the 1999 rate; sales of prescription pain relievers in 2010 were four times those in 1999; and the substance use disorder treatment admission rate in 2009 was six times the 1999 rate.
• In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills.
• Four in five new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers.
• 94% of respondents in a 2014 survey of people in treatment for opioid addiction said they chose to use heroin because prescription opioids were “far more expensive and harder to obtain.”

From the Schoolhouse to the White House

Recent headlines continue to blister America’s conscience to the scope of the opioid crisis.

Some of the heart-wrenching headlines dramatizing the gravity of the crisis include the following:

• In 2005, opioid deaths outnumbered murders in 27 states. In 2014, the number was 45
• How the Opioid Epidemic Became America’s Worst Drug Crisis Ever
• Drug Overdose Deaths Soared in New Orleans in 2016, Now Outpacing Murders
• New York City to Spend $38M in New Bid to Combat Opioid Deaths
• Animal-Strength Opioid Blamed for Cluster of Overdose Deaths
• Premature Deaths Rise As Opioid Epidemic Worsens

One particular published report from Buffalo, New York punctuates that immediate death is often the result of the crisis.

During just a 24-hour period, there was seven deaths in Erie County due to a suspected toxic batch of heroin.

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz, held a news conference on Mar. 30, joined by other county officials, to warn the public.

"We're doing this as a public health warning to those in our community who may use opiate-based drugs, such as heroin," Poloncarz said.

"When we see seven deaths in less than 24 hours, we know that something bad is on the streets," he said.

"We're warning the public, as we've had to do in the past, that there appears to be a very lethal dose of a substance that potentially has been added to heroin. We don't know if its fentanyl… We won't know that until some toxicology reports come back, which take a number of weeks to do," the county executive said.

The opioid crisis is a national health crisis with concerns from our schoolhouses to the White House.

On Mar. 29, a presidential executive order established the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

America Requires Moral Courage

In my Apr. 7, 2016 article for the Epoch Times titled “America’s Deadly Drug Crisis Demands Moral Courage,” I addressed the complexity of the epidemic.

In the article, I argued that America’s youth deserve educational empowerment to turn the tide.

The article addressed the multi-disciplined approach needed to remedy the crisis while spotlighting the critical importance of our youth.

Our youth must be empowered with the moral courage to be ethical protector’s for their families, schools, and communities.

America’s youth are critical to vanquishing the scourge of the opioid epidemic and turning the tide for America.

Final Reflections

The unimaginable heartbreak taking place in families throughout the nation by the opioid epidemic can be remedied.

America will be on track to reawakening the nation, when we approach the opioid crisis with moral courage ignited through every facet of America life.

A full collaborative effort must include schools, law enforcement, medical doctors, counselors, mental health professionals, government leaders, the pharmaceutical industry, and recovery groups such as narcotics anonymous (NA).

Schools are critical for defeating the crisis and educating the heart of our students is paramount.

Inspiring youth to be ethical protectors for their classmates, schools, families, and communities through character education initiatives must be our priority. Our youth are the heart of America’s resolve.

We must never underestimate the value of our youth with turning the tide of the opioid crisis. We must empower them with the tools they need to protect themselves, one another, and the future of the nation.


Note Well:

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

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Photo

OxyContin pills at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt., on Feb. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)