Pubdate: Thu, 17 Nov 2005
Source: Appalachian, The (NC Edu)
Copyright: Appalachian State University 2005
Contact:  http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/csil/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2788
Author: Sean Long

HORRIBLE EVENT CAN SERVE WARNING

With so much speculation as to the motive for the murder of Stephen 
Harrington, it is very easy to make the assumption that this is the 
result of a few bad eggs here on the Appalachian campus. However, the 
sad truth is that if this truly was a drug-related death and nothing 
changes with regards to Appalachian students' usage of narcotics, we 
can clearly expect more murders in the future. Boone is a growing 
town, quickly becoming more urbanized and gaining all the problems 
that come with it. Add to this the fact that students here at 
Appalachian tend to use narcotics, and you start seeing drug dealers. 
And the drug war has forced dealers to settle conflicts through 
extralegal means such as murder and assault, since going to a court 
and reporting a customer stealing from them would just be silly. If 
demand continues to be there, the likely result will be competition. 
Competition in the drug trade will lead to more violent crimes. It's 
that simple. This was a horrible event, but it can serve as a strong warning.

Sean Long
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MAP posted-by: Beth